Use Ultra-Wideband Discone Rectenna for Broadband RF Energy Harvesting Applications

Abstract

In this study, a broadband Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvester implementation is presented. The system uses a broadband discone antenna, which can operate efficiently in a broad frequency spectrum, including LTE, DCS 1800 and UMTS 2100 cellular frequency bands. The system is able to harvest energy from various electromagnetic field sources, thus has the potential to efficiently charge a storage energy element in a short time. The prototype broadband RF energy harvester was tested in the laboratory and also in a typical urban environment.Technologies 2020, 8, 21 2 of 13 energy from more ambient wireless sources that are distributed in a wide frequency range. Multiband rectennas normally have high conversion efficiency contrary to a narrow operating bandwidth, and can be ideal for energy harvesting from wireless communications systems, such as DCS-1800, LTE, UMTS [5].The authors in [6] proposed a complimentary split ring resonator (CSRR) metamaterial multiband antenna with a hybrid junction ring rectifier as a multiband rectenna that was able to utilize wireless transmissions from four communication bands such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, WiFi, using separately rectifier branches. Subrectifiers have been matched by the hybrid ring junction at each operating band. With this setup, the rectenna has a peak conversion efficiency up to 67% at 1.8 GHz. Additionally, the proposed multiband rectenna was tested in an urban environment.Broadband rectennas usually have lower conversion efficiency in contrary to a wide operating bandwidth. The design of this type of rectenna is a difficult process due to the complex matching network and the nonlinearity of the rectifiers' diodes [5]. Tapered line matching networks could be a solution for this problem as proposed by the authors of [7] with impedance transformation from the source (50 Ω) to the load (140 Ω). The proposed broadband rectenna exhibits an improved conversion efficiency above 30% across the entire frequency range from 1.2 to 5 GHz, using an Archimedean Spiral Antenna and a wideband-tapered microstrip balance-unbalanced transmission line (BALUN).The authors in [8] proposed a broadband rectenna using a double-sided printed monopole antenna consists of circular patch with a truncated ground plane. This type of rectenna, has an operating bandwidth range from 0.9 to 5.5 GHz and offers maximum efficiency (62.5%) with a resistive terminal load of 5 kΩ at 1.8 GHz, as shown from measurements results.The work in [9] introduced a compact broadband rectenna using a coplanar waveguide (CPW) rectangular monopole antenna with an inverted-L open circuit stub as the matching network and a rectifying circuit based on a voltage doubler with a minimum footprint size (58 × 55 mm 2 ). The proposed rectenna operates from 1.8 to 3.5 GHz and 5.4 to 6 GHz, and is able to utilize transmissions from wireless applications such as GSM 1800, UMTS 2100, WLAN 802.11 a, b and g systems and also WiMAX signals efficiently up to 28% for power conversion.Although the above systems can effectively operate in seve...

The Design of a Wideband Antenna with Notching Characteristics for Small Devices Using a Genetic Algorithm

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Design and Optimization of Discone Antenna for Medical Device Electromagnetic Interference Measurement

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“…Then, the discone antenna designed with some modifications to the shapes of the disc and cone for measuring signal characteristics indoors in [20] has a good S11 value. Another discone antenna design found in [21] is used for energy harvesting applications. It is a simple design using copper sheets as the material.…”

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