2016-02-09
Practical Investigation of Different Possible Textile Unit Cell for a C-Band Portable Textile Reflectarray Using Conductive Thread
By
Progress In Electromagnetics Research B, Vol. 66, 15-29, 2016
Abstract
Investigation of a unit cell in terms of reflected wave amplitude and phase, for designing linearly polarized single layer Textile-Reflectarray (TRA) at C-band, is presented. The relative dielectric constant of the material is extracted using resonance method, and a WLAN antenna is designed to verify the accuracy of extracted material parameter. An error of 5% is observed in the extracted dielectric constant, when performance of WLAN antenna is measured at WI-FI Band (2.4 GHz). The extracted dielectric constant is used in the unit cell designing for TRA at the C-Band (5.8 GHz). The radiating element is made using laying technique with conductive thread. A square patch with a ring is selected after analyzing multiple geometries of the patch providing the required reflected phase range and low losses. By varying size of patch and ring of single layer unit cell in CST periodic environment, reflected phase range of 360 degree is achieved, which is required for RA designing. The solid copper ground plane at the bottom of unit cell is replaced with conductive shielded fabric with high level signal attenuation. Four different sizes of textile unit cells are fabricated using conductive thread, and the reflected phase and amplitude are measured using waveguide method. The simulated and measured results are compared when solid copper ground plane at the bottom of unit cell has been replaced with shielded fabric. The proposed method provides the first step towards designing flexible high gain textile reflectarrays.
Citation
Muhammad M. Tahseen, and Ahmed A. Kishk, "Practical Investigation of Different Possible Textile Unit Cell for a C-Band Portable Textile Reflectarray Using Conductive Thread," Progress In Electromagnetics Research B, Vol. 66, 15-29, 2016.
doi:10.2528/PIERB15091704
References

1. Huang, J. and J. A. Encircle, Reflectarray Antennas, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2007.
doi:10.1002/9780470178775

2. Polar, D. M., S. D. Tarkington, and H. D. Rigors, "Design of millimeter wave microstrip reflectarrays," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 45, No. 2, 287-296, 1997.
doi:10.1109/8.560348        Google Scholar

3. Haug, J. and R. J. Pozorzelski, "A Ka-band microstrip reflectarray with elements having variable rotation angles," IEEE Transaction on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 46, No. 5, 650-656, May 1998.
doi:10.1109/8.668907        Google Scholar

4. Malfajani, S. and Z. Atlasbaf, "Design and implementation of a broadband single layer circularly polarized reflectarray antenna," IEEE Antennas Wireless Propag. Lett., Vol. 11, 973-976, Aug. 2012.
doi:10.1109/LAWP.2012.2213570        Google Scholar

5. Carrasco, E., M. Barba, and J. A. Encinar, "Reflectarray element based on aperture-coupled patches with slots and lines of variable length," IEEE Transaction on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 55, No. 3, 820-825, Mar. 2007.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2007.891863        Google Scholar

6. Bialkowski, M. E. and K. H. Sayidmarie, "Investigations into phase characteristics of a single-layer reflectarray employing patch or ring elements of variable size," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 56, No. 11, 3366-3372, Nov. 2008.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2008.2005470        Google Scholar

7. Mahmoud, A. and A. A. Kishk, "Ka-band dual mode circularly polarized reflectarray," IEEE Conference ANTEM, Victoria, Canada, 2014.        Google Scholar

8. Encinar, J. A., "Design of two-layer printed reflectarray using patches of variable size," IEEE Transaction on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 49, 1403-1410, 2001.
doi:10.1109/8.954929        Google Scholar

9. Chaharmir, M. R., J. Shaker, N. Gagnon, and D. Lee, "Design of broadband, single layer dualband large reflectarray using multi open loop elements," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 58, No. 9, 2875-2883, Sep. 2010.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2010.2052568        Google Scholar

10. Encinar, J. A. and J. A. Zornoza, "Broadband design of three-layer printed reflectarrays," IEEE Transaction on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 51, No. 7, 1662-1664, Jul. 2003.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2003.813611        Google Scholar

11. Pozar, D. M., "Bandwidth of reflectarrays," IEEE Electronics Letters, Vol. 39, No. 21, 1490-1491, Oct. 2003.
doi:10.1049/el:20030990        Google Scholar

12. Deguchi, H., K. Mayumi, M. Tsuji, and T. Nishimura, "Broadband single-layer triple-resonance microstrip reflectarray antennas," Proc. EuMA, 29-32, Italy, 2009.        Google Scholar

13. Hasani, H., M. Kamyab, and A. Mirkamali, "Broadband reflectarray antenna incorporating disk elements with attached phase-delay lines," IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, Vol. 9, 156-158, 2010.
doi:10.1109/LAWP.2010.2044473        Google Scholar

14. Koski, K., L. Sydanheimo, Y. Rahmat-Samii, and L. Ukkonen, "Fundamental characteristics of electro-textiles in wearable UHF RFID patch antennas for body-centric sensing systems," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 62, No. 12, 6454, 6462, Dec. 2014.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2014.2364071        Google Scholar

15. Matthew, J. C. G., B. Pirollo, A. Tyler, and G. Pettitt, "Body wearable antennas for UHF/VHF," Loughborough Antennas and Propagation Conference (LAPC), 2008, 357, 360, Mar. 17-18, 2008.        Google Scholar

16. Zhang, S., A. Chauraya, W. Whittow, R. Seager, T. Acti, T. Dias, and Y. Vardaxoglou, "Embroidered wearable antennas using conductive threads with different stitch spacings," Loughborough Antennas and Propagation Conference (LAPC), 2012, 1, 4, Nov. 12–13, 2012.        Google Scholar

17. Subramaniam, S., S. Dhar, K. Patra, B. Gupta, L. Osman, K. Zeouga, and A. Gharsallah, "Miniaturization of wearable electro-textile antennas using Minkowski fractal geometry," 2014 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium (APSURSI), 309, 310, Jul. 6–11, 2014.        Google Scholar

18. Jiang, Z. H., D. E. Brocker, P. E. Sieber, and D. H. Werner, "A compact, low-profile metasurfaceenabled antenna for wearable medical body-area network devices," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 62, No. 8, 4021, 4030, Aug. 2014.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2014.2327650        Google Scholar

19. Rahmat-Samii, Y., "Wearable and implantable antennas in body-centric communications," The Second European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, 2007, EuCAP 2007, 1, 5, Nov. 11–16, 2007.        Google Scholar

20. Salonen, P., K. Jaehoon, and Y. Rahmat-Samii, "Dual-band E-shaped patch wearable textile antenna," 2005 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, Vol. 1A, 466, 469, Jul. 3–8, 2005.        Google Scholar

21. Moukanda, M., F. Ndagijimana, J. Chilo, and P. Saguet, "A coaxial probe fixture used for extracting complex permittivity of thin layers," IEEE Annual Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference, 2006, WAMICON’06, 1-4, Dec. 4–5, 2006.        Google Scholar

22. Baginski, M. E., D. L. Faircloth, and M. D. Deshpande, "Comparison of two optimization techniques for the estimation of complex permittivities of multilayered structures using waveguide measurements," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 53, No. 10, 3251-3259, Oct. 2005.
doi:10.1109/TMTT.2005.855133        Google Scholar

23. Moukanda, F. M., F. Ndagijimana, J. Chilo, and P. Saguet, "A cavity in transmission for extracting electric parameters of thin layers," International Symposium on Signals, Systems and Electronics, 2007, ISSSE’07, 431-434, Jul. 30–Aug. 2, 2007.        Google Scholar

24. Haddadi, K. and T. Lasri, "Geometrical optics-based model for dielectric constant and loss tangent free-space measurement," IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Vol. 63, No. 7, 1818-1823, Jul. 2014.
doi:10.1109/TIM.2013.2297811        Google Scholar

25. Sankaralingam, S. and B. Gupta, "Determination of dielectric constant of fabric materials and their use as substrates for design and development of antennas for wearable applications," IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Vol. 59, No. 12, 3122, 3130, Dec. 2010.
doi:10.1109/TIM.2010.2063090        Google Scholar

26. Shams, S. I., M. M. Tahseen, and A. A. Kishk, "Relative permittivity extraction of textile materials based on ridge gap waveguide technology," IEEE Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and URSI (APS/URSI), Vancouver, BC, Canada, Jul. 19–25, 2015.        Google Scholar

27. http://www.lessemf.com/, 776-B Watervliet Shaker Rd, Latham, NY 12110, USA.