Crumpling of Microstrip Antenna Array

The performance of a 2 x 2 microstrip patch array under crumpling conditions is presented. The antenna array was manufactured on textile material, and three cases of crumpling resembling real applications are discussed. The performance of the individual patch elements correlate with the overall performance of the array. Frequency shifts of up to 6% are measured for the array when crumpled, the boresight gain is reduced by up to 6 dB with significant changes in directivity and efficiency, up to 20%. The overall efficiency for the textile array increases for crumpling in one plane but falls in the other.