On the Equivalent Circuit Model of a 3D-Printed Conductive Electrifi Transmission Line on a Flexible NinjaFlex Substrate

Abstract

Determining the equivalent circuit to model the behavior of a device is a very useful tool in electrical engineering. With new materials becoming available to be used in RF and microwave applications, characterization of devices manufactured with these materials is continually being developed. This paper presents an approach to deriving a unit cell model that can approximate the behavior of an Electrifi based transmission line on a flexible substrate using a 3D printed NjnjaFlex filament. A combination of empirical and theoretical approaches are used here and results are validated via a simulation and a measured prototype.