Broadband Planar Log-Periodic Dipole Array Antenna Based RF-Energy Harvesting System

ABSTRACT

In this paper, a low-cost planar log periodic dipole array antenna has been described using triangular dipole elements for broadband RF energy harvesting applications. The antenna measured bandwidth for VSWR ≤ 2 is from 570 to 2750 MHz (1:4.8), which covers all the cellular bands. The radiation pattern is uniform over the entire frequency range. The measured gain is 7.2 dBi with less than ±0.5 dB variation over the entire bandwidth. A Schottky diode-based voltage doubler rectifier is used to convert RF energy to DC voltage. A broadband impedance matching network using an exponentially tapered microstrip line between log periodic antenna and rectifier has been designed. At a distance of 25 m from the cell tower, a voltage of 1.7 V was obtained using the developed broadband RF energy harvesting system across a load of 4.7 kΩ. A voltage of 3 V was obtained across the same load while initiating a call from a cell phone.

KEYWORDS:

• Broadband
• Cell phone
• Cell tower
• Dipole array
• Log-periodic
• RF-energy harvesting
• Rectenna

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hemant Kumar

Hemant Kumar is currently pursuing PhD degree in antennas and microwave at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), Mumbai, India. His research interests include broadband antennas, microstrip antennas and arrays, and monopulse tracking radar.

E-mail: [email protected]

Mahima Arrawatia

Mahima Arrawatia is currently a faculty member in the Electronics & Electrical Engineering Department at IIT Guwahati. She completed her masters and PhD in RF energy harvesting at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India. Her current research interest includes energy harvesting, RFIC design and microstrip antennas.

E-mail: [email protected]

Girish Kumar

Girish Kumar received a PhD degree in electrical engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1983. From 1983 to 1985, he was a research associate in the Electrical Engineering Department, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. From 1985 to 1991, he was an assistant professor in the Electrical Engineering Department, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, USA. Since 1991, he is at IIT Bombay, where he is currently a professor in the Electrical Engineering Department. His areas of interest are antennas, microwave circuits, and systems. He has written more than 270 papers in the international and national journals and conference proceedings. He is the author of the two books and has filed five patents. He has been working on hazards of microwave radiation for the last one decade. He has written several reports and given presentations at various forums on the topic related to cell phone and tower radiation hazards and solutions.

E-mail: [email protected]