Rectenna System Development Using Harmonic Balance and S-Parameters for an RF Energy Harvester

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Energy Harvesting
• Antenna Design

Background:

• Growing demand for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Internet of Things (IoT) necessitates sustainable power solutions for low-power devices.
• Reducing reliance on batteries for passive operation is crucial for autonomous and long-lasting device functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a rectenna architecture for radio frequency energy harvesting, optimized for low-power applications.
• To investigate the performance of a prototype utilizing ambient Wi-Fi signals at 2.4 GHz.

Main Methods:

• Designed a rectenna system integrating a fractal antenna, a seven-stage Cockroft-Walton rectifier with Schottky diodes (HSMS286C, MA4E2054B1-1146T), and a low-pass filter.
• Conducted simulations using Advanced Design System (ADS) on a Rogers 5880 PCB substrate.
• Fabricated and tested the integrated rectifier and fractal antenna system.

Main Results:

• Simulations predicted a harvestable voltage of 3.53 V with a minimum input power of -10 dBm (0.1 mW).
• The fabricated prototype achieved a 1.5 V DC output from ambient Wi-Fi signals.
• Successfully powered a red LED, demonstrating practical energy harvesting capability.

Conclusions:

• The fractal antenna-based radio frequency (RF) harvester is a viable solution for powering small electronic devices.
• This technology offers a sustainable and battery-independent power source for IoT and RFID applications.
• The developed rectenna architecture shows promise for autonomous, low-power device operation.