Fully printed 3D cube-shaped multiband fractal rectenna for ambient RF energy harvesting

Azamat Bakytbekov*, Thang Q. Nguyen, Cuong Huynh, Khaled N. Salama, Atif Shamim

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging paradigm that requires billions of wirelessly connected devices in a complex radio-frequency (RF) environment. With such a huge number of devices in this scenario, recharging or replacing batteries becomes impractical. Therefore, powering IoT devices by harvesting energy from ambient sources, such as that available in the RF spectrum, is an attractive solution. The antenna for the RF energy harvester must work on multiple bands to capture as much power as possible. This paper presents a fully printed 3D cube triple band Cantor fractal rectenna based on the system-on-package (SoP) concept; the antenna is realized on the package that houses a rectifier circuit and a multiband matching network. The combination of additive manufacturing and SoP ensures a lower cost and the efficient use of available space. The rectenna harvests RF power from GSM900, GSM1800, and 3 G 2.1 GHz frequency bands. Field tests of the RF energy harvester conducted in a real ambient environment confirm that up to 200 mV output voltage can be harvested. Also, 550 mV is harvested when the rectenna is near a smartphone during a live phone call. The promising results and lower cost make this design a suitable candidate to power IoT devices.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)587-595
Number of pages9
JournalNano Energy
Volume53
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2018

Keywords

  • 3D printing
  • Multiband fractal antenna
  • Multiband matching network
  • RF energy harvesting
  • System-on-package

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • General Materials Science
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Fully printed 3D cube-shaped multiband fractal rectenna for ambient RF energy harvesting'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this