Tests on High-Directivity Unconventional Biconical Type Antennas

TL;DR

This study designs and tests high-directivity biconical antennas with innovative configurations, including dielectric lenses and unconventional shapes, demonstrating promising results for focused energy transfer in the 1-5 GHz range.

Contribution

It introduces novel biconical antenna designs with 3D printed dielectric lenses and unconventional shapes, expanding the configuration space for high directivity antennas.

Findings

Achieved a main lobe centered at 8.4 degrees with 6.4-degree FWHM using dielectric lenses.

Achieved a main lobe centered at 10.0 degrees with 14.2-degree FWHM without dielectric lenses.

Demonstrated the feasibility of rapid prototyping for high-directivity antenna components.

Abstract

Biconical-type antennas featuring high directivity have been designed, created, and tested in anechoic chamber. Results in the range between 1 and 5 GHz are presented in this article. In particular, two different configurations have been tested, with and without dielectric lenses, both involving rapid prototyping tools (3D printing) for the dielectric and the antenna support. A very high directivity is nowadays demanded by efficient and sustainable point-to-point communications or energy transfer protocols, to avoid releasing energy in neighboring areas and preserve data transfer security. As demonstrated here, special biconical type antennas featuring a 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) dielectric lens can achieve a good directivity, with a corresponding emission lobe centered around 8.4 degrees, featuring a FWHM of 6.4 degrees. Dielectric lens-free antennas, featuring an unconventional shape, can also achieve a good directivity, with a corresponding emission lobe centered around 10.0 degrees, featuring a FWHM of 14.2 degrees. The preliminary results shown here explore some of the aspects of the vast configuration space (which include fabrication techniques, dielectric materials, conductive supports, etc.) and open the route for further optimization studies. The aim would be to adjust the various degrees of freedom in order to achieve what can be defined as "infinite" directivity.