The Bi-Curvature Method: A New Paradigm for Flexible 3D-Printed Curved Reflectarrays

In this paper, some results on the design and analysis of a 3D-printable dielectric ReflectArray (RA) antenna that can be conformed to cylinders with different radii of curvature are presented. Thanks to the definition and the use of an innovative procedure, named Bi-Curvature Method (BCM), a curved reflectarray is designed is designed to maintain stable performance even when its radius of curvature changes. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is assessed through the numerical analysis and the experimental characterization of a prototype, manufactured using a 3D printer and flexible dielectric material. Both confirm the feasibility of the proposed solution and the good features of the considered configuration.