Investigation of Bumper Thickness to Study Automotive Radar Performance for Wide Incidence Angles

This paper investigates the effect of bumper thickness on automotive radar transmission performance across a wide range of incidence angles.The study examines bumper thicknesses that correspond to constructive and destructive interference conditions of the reflected wave, analyzing their impact on transmission characteristics using Floquet port boundary conditions.Additionally, a series-fed radar antenna is designed and placed behind the bumper to assess its performance in the presence of the painted bumper for various bumper thicknesses.The Electromagnetic simulations are conducted at the 77 GHz automotive radar frequency, with the bumper modeled as Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) material and a 0.1 mm thick paint layer.The investigation focuses on the influence of bumper thickness on the transmission coefficient, frequency shift, and radiation characteristics of the radar antenna.Ultimately, the study emphasizes the importance of selecting an appropriate bumper thickness, offering valuable insights for automotive radar applications.