2016 International Conference on Advanced Technologies for Communications (ATC)

Research, Design and Fabrication of 2.45 GHz

Microstrip Patch Antenna Arrays for Close-Range
Wireless Power Transmission Systems
Giang Bach Hoang, Giap Nguyen Van, Linh Ta Phuong, Tuan Anh Vu and Duong Bach Gia
VNU University of Engineering and Technology
Email: [email protected]

Abstract—Antennas play a very important role in wireless

power transmission (WPT) systems using microwave since they
affect the system transmission efficiency. General requirements
for an antenna used for WPT systems are high directivity and
narrow beamwidth. This paper presents the design, simulation
and fabrication of microstrip patch antenna arrays for close-
range WPT systems. Various antenna prototypes such as single
patch, 2×2, 2×4, 4×8 and 8×8 microstrip patch antenna ar-
rays working at 2.45 GHz are proposed. The 2×4 microstrip
patch antenna array is fabricated and measured using Anritsu
37364D Vector Network Analyzer and NSI 2000 Nearfield System.
Measurement results show that the fabricated antenna obtains a Fig. 1. Block diagram of the WPT system using microwave.
directivity of 14.7 dBi and a 3 dB beamwidth of 23.2 degree. The
experiment with the WPT system is carried out. This paper also
presents structure of a WPT system and the role each building A. The Transmitter
block in the system.
Index Terms—Wireless Power Transmission, Rectenna, Mi- As mentioned before, the main part of the transmitter
crostrip Patch, Antenna Array, Microwave Engineering used for the WPT systems are microwave power generator,
microwave amplifier and transmitting antenna. This section
will present the two first components.
I. I NTRODUCTION
1) Microwave Power Generator: The microwave power
Nowadays, the WPT systems are popularly used for variety generator generates microwave power and the output power
of purposes not only in military but also in typical life. The is controlled by electronic control circuits [1]. The microwave
demand of offering high efficiency of power transmission transmission systems prefer to work at 2.45 GHz or 5.8 GHz
process leads to the problem for finding new methods to for ISM band. Besides, the frequency 8.5 GHz, 10 GHz,
implement those systems. One of the innovative ideas solving 35 GHz is also used for these systems. However, the most
the problem is using microwave engineering. Indeed, the WPT preferable frequency is 2.45 GHz since it achieves the highest
systems using microwave (WPT) have proved that they are the transmission efficiency of over 90% [1].
future of power transmission. This paper is going to present 2) Amplifier: It can be seen that amplifier is one of the
and analyze the components of the WPT systems including the most basic and prevalent circuit in modern RF and microwave
transmitter and receiver. The main part focuses on the design, system. Thanks to the rapid innovations of semiconductor
simulation and fabrication of microstrip antenna arrays used technology, most RF and microwave amplifiers today are using
for the WPT systems to satisfy the requirements of offering transistor devices such as Si BJTs, GaAs or SiGe HBTs, Si
high transmission efficiency and long distance between the MOSFETs, GaAs MESFETs, GaAs or GaN HEMTs [2]. For
transmitter and the receiver. the WPT systems, power amplifier circuits are used to amplify
the power generated from the source. The higher power
II. A RCHITECTURE OF WPT S YSTEMS transmitted, the longer transmission range can be achieved.

Fig. 1 shows the block diagram of a WPT system. This B. The Receiver
system can be divided into two parts: the transmitter and the The receiver seems to be more complex with the appearance
receiver. The former includes the microwave power generator of filter, microwave rectifier and receiving antenna.
and microwave amplifiers. The latter is more complex with 1) Microwave Filter: The main purpose of using mi-
bandpass filter (BPF) and microwave rectifier. More detail crowave filter for this system is focusing the power at center
descriptions and the roles of components are depicted in the frequency of 2.45 GHz. Thus, a bandpass filter with high
following sections. The role of a antenna in the WPT system frequency selectivity, narrow bandwidth and low attenuation
and the characteristics of a preferable antenna are specified. characteristic is designed.

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 2016 International Conference on Advanced Technologies for Communications (ATC)

Fig. 2. A rectifying circuit.

Fig. 3. Single microstrip patch antenna.

2) Microwave Rectifier: A microwave rectifier is a RF
power receiver converting the received power into DC power.
Rectenna is a component that combines a receiving antenna
and a microwave rectifier circuit. Microwave rectifier circuits
use diodes and impedance matching networks to produce a
DC voltage. The efficiency of the rectification circuit depends
strongly on the impedance matching. This value is typically
medium and the highest RF-DC conversion efficiency is 60%
at 5.8 GHz and approximately 50% at 2.45 GHz. Fig. 2 shows
one of the structures of rectifier circuits and the formulas for
estimating the rectification efficiency are as follow [3] [4]:

DC Output Power
η0 =
Incident RF Power

DC Output Power V02 Fig. 4. Proposed design for (a) single microstrip patch and (b) 2×2 microstrip
ηC = = patch antenna array.
Incident RF Power - Reflected RF Power RL PR

Where η0 is the overall efficiency, ηC is the rectifier conversion

efficiency, PR is the received RF power of the rectifier circuit III. D ESIGN OF M ICROSTRIP PATCH A NTENNA A RRAYS
and V0 is the DC output voltage across the load resistor, RL . FOR WPT S YSTEMS
A microstrip antenna, also known as patch antenna, consists
C. Transmitting and Receiving Antennas of a metal patch on a substrate with a ground plane on the
other side as shown in Fig. 3. The shapes of the patches are
Previous sections have presented components for generat- different such as: rectangular, square, circular and circular ring.
ing, amplifying, filtering and converting RF power of WPT Feed line configurations contain aperture coupled, microstrip
system. However, to transmit and receive power, we need line feed and coaxial feed. Ref. [5] gives the formulas for
antennas and they play very important role for the whole pro- calculating the width and the length of a uniform patch
cess. Generated power after being amplified in the transmitter antenna.
will be overspread into free space to receiver. The receiving
antenna will receive power and deliver to the receiver. An A. Antenna Design
antenna can be combined with a rectifier to form a rectenna. A Several prototypes of microstrip patch antenna arrays are
good antenna with high gain and high directivity can raise the designed on FR-4 (lossy) substrate with a relative dielectric
power transmission efficiency and the possible transmission constant of 4.3, thickness of 1.6 mm and metal thickness of
range. The preferable antenna for the WPT system must 0.035 mm. The widths of 50 Ω, 70.71 Ω and 100 Ω transmis-
satisfy the following conditions: high gain, high directivity sion lines are 3.09 mm, 1.64 mm and 0.72 mm, respectively.
and narrow beamwidth. In addition, the size of the antenna The design of antennas includes single patch antenna, 2×2,
is also considered. In current WPT systems, different types 2×4, 4×8 and 8×8 patch antenna arrays. The dimensions
of antennas are being used such as the slotted waveguide of antenna prototypes are demonstrated in Fig. 4, Fig. 5,
antenna, microstrip patch antenna, parabolic dish antenna and Fig. 6, respectively. Simulation results are presented in the
Yagi/Quasi-Yagi antenna. In this paper, a microtrip patch an- next section.
tenna array is designed. The advantages of this type of antenna
are high gain, high directivity, and low cost. The research, B. Simulation Results
design and fabrication of microstrip patch antenna array for the All parameters of the antennas are optimized by CST Studio
WPT system at 2.45 GHz is presented in following sections. Suite. The simulated S11 of different antenna prototypes are

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Fig. 8. Simulated radiation pattern of (a) 2×4 patch antenna array (b) 4×8 patch antenna array (c) 8×8 patch antenna array.

TABLE I
S IMULATION RESULTS FOR DIFFERENT ANTENNA PROTOTYPES

Parameters Single Patch 2×2 Array 2×4 Array 4×8 Array 8×8 Array
Dimensions (mm) 75×58 122×128 240×150 490×290 490×585
S11 @2.45 GHz (dB) -20.2 -24.2 -31.5 -36.6 -21.6
Directivity (dBi) 7 10.8 14.5 20.3 23.2
Gain (dBi) 4.4 7.8 10.8 15.8 17.1
Bandwidth S11 < -10 dB (MHz) 57.9 76.5 60.4 102.1 162.6
3 dB Beamwidth (degree) 78.5 52.8 26.5 13 12.6
Sidelobe Level (dB) -13.1 -21.9 -16.1 -15.5 -12.3

Fig. 5. Proposed design for 2×4 microstrip patch antenna array. Fig. 7. Simulated input return loss of different antenna prototypes.

plotted in Fig. 7 which shows that the 4×8 microstrip antenna

array gives lowest return loss value (less than -35 dB) while
for single patch, this value is lower than -20 dB, but this is still
a good result. Fig. 8 shows the simulation results for far field
directivity of 2×4, 4×8 and 8×8 patch antenna. Simulation
results of different antenna prototypes are summarized in
table I.
IV. M EASUREMENT R ESULTS
To verify the performance of proposed antennas, two 2×4
patch antenna arrays are fabricated as shown in Fig. 9. The
measurement results in term of of input return loss and
directivity are shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 respectively. The
input return loss is measured using a Anritsu 37364D Vector
Fig. 6. Proposed design for 4×8 microstrip patch antenna array.
Network Analyzer while the radiation pattern and directivity

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Fig. 9. The fabricated 2×4 patch antenna array.

Fig. 11. Comparison between the measured and simulated input return loss
of the 2×4 patch antenna array.

Fig. 10. The fabricated antenna measured by Nearfield System NSI 2000.

Fig. 12. Measurement results for radiation pattern in (a) 2D dimension and
(b) 3D dimension.
are measured by a Nearfield System NSI 2000 as shown in
Fig. 10, which is a powerful tool for measuring radiation
patterns. Measurement results show that S11 reaches -29.5 dB
antenna while the receiver encompasses receiving antenna and
at the center frequency of 2.45 GHz. It can be seen that the
a rectifier circuit loaded by a LED. Due to small transmitting
measured S11 is smaller than the simulated one. As a result,
power, the longest transmission distance is only approximately
the bandwidth is extended to 200 MHz compared to 60 MHz
70 cm. If higher transmitting power are applied, the transmis-
bandwidth in simulation. The measurement results also give
sion distance will be increased.
the directivity value of the two antennas is approximately
14.7 dBi at 2.45 GHz. The comparisons between simulation
and measurement of antennas are indicated in table II. The V. C ONCLUSION
fabricated transmitting and receiving antennas are integrated In this paper, we have presented the design, simulation
with the close-range WPT system as shown in Fig. 13. The and fabrication of transmitting and receiving antennas used
transmitter includes a 2 W power amplifier and a transmitting for the close-range WPT system. Single patch, 2×2, 2×4,
4×8 and 8×8 microstrip patch antenna arrays are proposed
TABLE II offering high directivity and narrow beamwidth. The input
C OMPARISON BETWEEN SIMULATION AND MEASUREMENT RESULTS FOR return loss varies from -35 dB to -20 dB at the center fre-
2×4 PATCH ANTENNA ARRAY
quency of 2.45 GHz. The directivity of the 4×8 antenna array
Parameters Simulation Measurement is 20.3 dBi while the 3 dB beamwidth is 13 degree. Two
S11 @2.45 GHz (dB) -31.5 -29.5 2×4 microstrip patch antenna arrays are fabricated on FR4
Directivity (dBi) 14.5 14.7 substrate. Measurement results show that these antenna arrays
Gain (dBi) 10.8 10.8
Bandwidth S11 < -10 dB (MHz) 60.4 200 obtain the directivity of 14.7 dBi and the narrow beamwidth
3 dB Beamwidth (degree) 26.5 23.9 of 23 degree. They are also measured with the WPT system
Sidelobe Level (dB) -16.1 -16.3 giving good results at close distance.

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Fig. 13. Measurement setup for the WPT system.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work has been sponsored by Vietnam National Uni-
versity, Hanoi (VNU), under Project No. QG.15.27.
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[4] P. M. Masud, A methodology for designing 2.45GHz wireless rectenna
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