# Highly Sensitive Control Study of PD Archimedean Antenna Based on Rotating Unit Reflective Metasurface

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to improve the sensitivity of Archimedean spiral antennas for detecting electrical discharges using a rotating metasurface.

## Contribution

A novel rotating-unit reflective metasurface design is proposed to significantly enhance the gain and sensitivity of Archimedean antennas for partial discharge detection.

## Key findings

- The antenna's gain increases by up to 15.61 dB in the 0.3–1.5 GHz band with metasurface control.
- UHF signal detection amplitude increases by 88.9% during ESD and 138.6–150% during GIS discharges.
- The metasurface optimization method improves average full-band gain by 3.42 dB.

## Abstract

Addressing the insufficient sensitivity of typical Archimedean spiral antennas for detecting partial discharge (PD) in electrical equipment, this paper proposes a high-sensitivity regulation technique for PD Archimedean antennas based on rotating unit-cell reflective metasurfaces. First, a finite element model of the ultra-high-frequency Archimedean antenna was constructed. Then, employing metasurface electromagnetic wave reflection technology and phase compensation principles, a rotating-unit reflective metasurface was designed to optimize its full-bandwidth gain. A multi-parameter joint optimization method was used to obtain the optimal data for the antenna and metasurface parameters. Finally, simulations and experimental analyses of the super-surface-controlled Archimedean antenna revealed the following: The gain of the Archimedean antenna controlled by the rotating-unit super-surface increases by up to 15.61 dB in the 0.3–1.5 GHz band, with an average full-band gain enhancement of 3.42 dB. During electrostatic discharge (ESD), the amplitude of UHF signals detected by the Archimedean antenna increases by approximately 88.9%, and the amplitude detection of UHF signals during GIS discharges increases by approximately 138.6–150%. These results demonstrate that the metasurface significantly enhances the antenna’s gain performance, providing a reference for highly sensitive control technologies in detecting discharges in electrical equipment.