Microstrip patch antenna for simultaneous temperature sensing and superstrate characterization

Tchafa, F. Mbanya; Huang, H.

doi:10.1088/1361-665x/ab2213

Microstrip patch antenna for simultaneous temperature sensing and superstrate characterization

Journal Article · Tue Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Smart Materials and Structures

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665x/ab2213· OSTI ID:1799766

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Univ. of Texas, Arlington, TX (United States); OSTI
Univ. of Texas, Arlington, TX (United States)

This paper investigates a microstrip patch antenna for measuring the thickness and dielectric constant of the medium above the antenna (i.e. the superstrate) as well as the temperature. The intended application is simultaneous sensing of ash accumulation and temperature inside a boiler, with the aim of enhancing safety, improving efficiency, and reducing downtime associated with maintenance. A patch antenna, consisting of a dielectric substrate, a radiation patch, and a ground plane, functions as an electromagnetic resonator with specific fundamental frequencies. A dielectric medium placed above the patch antenna changes its effective dielectric constant and thus its resonant frequencies. Meanwhile, temperature also influences the antenna frequencies because of the thermal expansion of the conductors (i.e. the radiation patch and ground plane), and the dielectric constant of dielectric materials due to their temperature dependency. Since a rectangular patch antenna has two fundamental frequencies, it enables determining these two parameters simultaneously. Once the temperature and superstrate thickness are determined, the dielectric constant of the superstrate and its temperature dependency can also be extracted. To demonstrate this capability, a dual-frequency patch antenna was designed, fabricated, and characterized with a superstrate of various thicknesses and at different temperatures. By fitting the antenna resonant frequencies as functions of the superstrate thickness and temperature, these two parameters were inversely determined from the measured antenna frequencies. Using ash from charcoal briquettes as a superstrate, the measurement uncertainties were determined to be ±0.58 °C and ±58.05 μm for the temperature and the superstrate thickness respectively. The dielectric constant of the ash was found to be 2.64 at room temperature and its thermal coefficient of dielectric constant (TCD_k) was found to be 918 ppm °C^–1.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Texas, Arlington, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)

Grant/Contract Number:: FE0023118

OSTI ID:: 1799766

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 23031204

Journal Information:: Smart Materials and Structures, Journal Name: Smart Materials and Structures Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 28; ISSN 0964-1726

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
condition monitoring
microstrip patch antenna sensor
structural health monitoring
superstrate thickness sensor
temperature sensor
temperature-compensated measurements
thermal efficiency
wireless sensor

Microstrip patch antenna for simultaneous temperature sensing and superstrate characterization

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References (26)

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