Analytical Hierarchy Process-based Selection of Underground Imaging Antenna Enclosure Material for Optimized Power Transfer

Electromagnetic shielding has been a well-known mechanism to protect electronic circuits and antennas against unnecessary noise and signals in the system. Thus, this paper has introduced a shielding for very low-frequency subsurface imaging in the form of an antenna enclosure that will help in efficient power transfer and redirection of the signal. With that, the AHP technique was utilized for ranking the sub-criteria and alternatives concerning electrical qualities, material quality features, and manufacturing factors for selecting the best material for an antenna enclosure. The substrate materials which are also referred as alternatives include the Roger 5880 woven glass reinforced hydrocarbon/ceramics, FR4 glass-reinforced epoxy laminate material, and epoxy resin. Furthermore, an AHP calculator was utilized to perform the consistency ratio computations where its value must not be greater than 0.1. Based on the findings, the most suited material for a substrate material is epoxy resin dielectric substrate which considerably satisfies the electrical and mechanical requirements in the dipole plate of an underground imaging antenna. With a 0.373 weight value, it outperformed the Roger 5880 and the FR4 with 0.309 and 0.300 weight values, respectively, in total weight ranking alternatives. This claim was verified technically by performing electrical antenna simulations in Altair Feko on a one-pair equatorial dipole-dipole antenna. The epoxy resin practical reading of 6.354 μA, 7.567 kV/m, 8.580 kV/m, 87.651% 1.020 W of receiver current, inner and outer enclosure electric fields, power efficiency, and power loss, respectively, operated at 3 kHz which is ideal for long wave soil exploration.