Multi-functional composite metamaterial-inspired EEAD antenna for structural applications

Abstract

An electrically small, load-bearing Egyptian axe dipole (EAD) antenna has been sewn into a low loss, pure quartz glass composite material to investigate its performance. Previous investigations of embroidered Egyptian axe dipole antennas indicated that the dielectric losses of the associated epoxy-based composite, in conjunction with the high effective surface resistance of the conductive textile threads, significantly degrade their performance. Simulations of the EAD antenna using a composite sandwich structure based on an advanced embroidery technique and the much lower loss quartz fabric have shown that a realized gain of 0.9 dBi is possible, a dramatic improvement over previous realizations.