Performance of a Double Uniform Circular Array in a Three-Dimensional Environment

ABSTRACT

In this paper, an array configuration with double uniform circular arrays (DUCAs) is provided in a three-dimensional environment with the goal of optimizing compact multiantenna user terminals. The DUCA extends the general two-dimensional multiantenna model to three-dimensional space. To accurately consider the spatial fading correlation (SFC) between antennas and the capacity of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) multipath channels, this paper uses the equivalent network model under mutual coupling (MC). Furthermore, the methods for calculating SFC with and without MC and capacity for a frequency non-selective Rayleigh fading channel are given. For simplicity, the azimuth and elevation angle distributions are assumed to be uniform. Simulation results show that the DUCA provided by this paper can decrease SFC between antennas, hence increasing capacity compared with UCAs of the same size. Taking MC into consideration, capacity will increase when the radius of the circle is smaller than $0.27\lambda$. The parameters of arrival signals have a significant impact on the system performance as well. This investigation expands the application of a statistical channel model and optimizes the study of the terminal antenna array.

KEYWORDS:

• Capacity
• double uniform circular array
• MIMO
• mutual coupling
• spatial fading correlation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments, which greatly helped improve this paper. We also acknowledge Professor Fumiyuki Adachi of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tohoku University, Japan, for his assistance in completing this paper. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61372128 and 61471153) and the Scientific and Technological Support Project (Industry) of Jiangsu Province (No. 14KJA510001).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 61372128 and 61471153]; the Scientific and Technological Support Project (Industry) of Jiangsu Province [grant number 14KJA510001].

Notes on contributors

Yalin Wang

Yalin Wang is a postgraduate student at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China. Her current research interests include wireless communications theory and MIMO channel modelling.

E-mail: [email protected]

Jie Zhou

Jie Zhou is currently a professor and doctoral tutor at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China. He is also a visiting professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National Niigata University, Japan. His current research interests include mobile communication theory, wireless sensor networks, and radio access networks.

E-mail: [email protected]

Hisakazu Kikuchi

Hisakazu Kikuchi is currently a professor at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National Niigata University, Japan. He is also an honorary professor at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China. His current research interests include digital signal processing, image processing, wavelets, and mobile communications.

E-mail: [email protected]