What to expect rolling a microstrip patch array antenna ?

[Externet]

Hi.
A multielement microstrip patch antenna printed on a proper substrate, like :

If rolled to form a cylinder, like

Would it become a omnidirectional antenna ?

Do you know of anyone manufacturing the unrolled microstrip patch on polymer foil method ? What does it take? Silver ink ; copper etch ?

 

[FvM]

Why would you use so many array elements to make an omnidirectional antenna?

Microstrip needs ground plane, you can make microstrip as standard flex PCB on polyimide substrate, but structure width will be very small due to the small height.

 

[Externet]

Thanks.
Would it have better performance with less elements ?
The ground plane behind the patches also rolled behind them, at the calculated/convenient distance/height

 

[vfone]

Are two main reasons building a multi-element (single panel) array antenna.
To get a very narrow beamwidth (stencil beam) and/or to steer this beam in particular directions. Usually no more than +/- 60 deg.
If you bend this panel array and place it in a cylinder shape, you will get none of these performances, because the radiation pattern of each antenna element with respect to each other cannot add constructively in some directions or destructively in others, as happen when the array panel is flat.
The new antenna may be omnidirectional, but I think the gain will not be much higher than the gain of a vertical ground-plane antenna.
Only an EM simulation can give the right answer.