RF energy harvester in the proximity of an aircraft radar altimeter

Energy Harvesting Technologies for Structural Health Monitoring of Airplane Components—A Review

“…In another use of the RF concept, a rectenna-based EH device (Figure 40) for low-power/low duty cycle aircraft sensors is placed on the aircraft skin on the lower part of the fuselage, collecting successfully the energy of a radar altimeter operating at 4.3 GHz. For the rectenna positioned at 30 cm from the altimeter with a transmission power of 0.5 W, the EH power density could in this case reach 2.2 µW/cm 2 [215]. An experimental approach to RF energy harvesting in the far-field was, in turn, demonstrated by using a commercial Powercast Lifetime Power P2110 rectenna operated at 900 MHz mounted on an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter landing gear compartment (Figure 41), allowing a DC power output of 70.42 μW to be transmitted from a 76 m distant GSM base-station to an accelerometer sensor node in the helicopter [216].…”

“… Low-power/low duty cycle rectenna RF EH device powered by a nearby aircraft altimeter radar [ 215 ]. …”

“…In another use of the RF concept, a rectenna-based EH device (Figure 40) for low-power/low duty cycle aircraft sensors is placed on the aircraft skin on the lower part of the fuselage, collecting successfully the energy of a radar altimeter operating at 4.3 GHz. For the rectenna positioned at 30 cm from the altimeter with a transmission power of 0.5 W, the EH power density could in this case reach 2.2 μW/cm 2 [215]. The WPT itself can be based, in this frame, on a near-field or a far-field concept.…”

“…An experimental approach to RF energy harvesting in the far-field was, in turn, demonstrated by using a commercial Powercast Lifetime Power P2110 rectenna operated at 900 MHz mounted on an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter landing gear compartment (Figure 41), allowing a DC power output of 70.42 µW to be transmitted from a 76 m distant GSM base-station to an accelerometer sensor node in the helicopter [216]. [215].…”