Dielectric lens antenna design for automotive applications

Today, with automotive radars, it is possible to have speed control, collision warning, collision mitigation, lane change assist, headway alert, blind spot detection systems. The performance of such systems is directly related with the performance of the antenna front end. At millimeter waves, the most advanced antenna solutions available today are for adaptive cruise control (ACC) applications at 77 GHz frequency. The next generation of millimeter-wave automotive radars will consist of short range radars operating over a 4-GHz bandwidth centered at 77/79 GHz frequency band and they will have specifications like multiple beam or beam scanning schemes, field of view up to 80°, cross-polarization level below 25 dB, etc. Due to the very stringent specifications, new antenna solutions need to be invented. A new lens antenna design is aimed with considering the needs of the next generation milimetre-wave automotive radar. In this thesis, the known lens antenna configurations are considered both numerically and experimentally. The best solution for the next generation millimeter-wave automotive radar needs is chosen. The dual lens antenna consists of a planospherical and a hemispherical lens antenna. The effects of dielectrical constants of antenna ingredients and matching layers in high dielectric constats lenses are examined. Antenna configurations are benchmarked by comparison with GO/PO algorithm, CST simulations and ray tracing algrotihm.