The 13th Hokkaido Indonesian Student Association Scientific Meeting (HISAS 13)

Design and Analysis of Microstrip Antenna

(Rectenna) to Harvest 900 MHz Radio Frequency
for Mobile Device Application
Onang Surya Nugroho#1, Muhammad Rizky#2, Roni Vayayang#3
#
Electrical Engineering Department, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology
Campus ITS Sukolilo. Jalan Raya ITS 60111, Surabaya-East Java, Indonesia
1onang.nugroho@gmail.com

2rizky.te23@gmail.com

3roni.vayayang@yahoo.co.id

Abstract— Today, portable devices which spread out to the
market and bought by consumer still use grid utilities as main
source to refill the energy. The penetration of huge number of
electronic devices could give effect to the grid system such as,
voltage fluctuation, voltage stress, economic issues, and
increasing the quantity of electrical blackout. Thus, this paper
proposed an invention to overcome the issues by using renewable
energy which had provided by nature. Low profile antenna made
from RF4 material (rectenna) used as receiver to harvest 900
Mhz radio frequency in the air using electromagnetic concept.
Combined with low pass filter and Schottky diode, rectenna
could harvest 22.73 microwatt and 5 volts. Along with 96 mm x
80 mm size, this antenna possible to carried whenever people go
to and electronic devices are not necessary to refill their energy
from grid utilities.
Keywords— energy harvesting, radio frequency, rectenna, LPF,
antenna.
require a small dimension of antenna and portable (low profile
antenna). One of low-profile antenna is microstrip which
possible integrated along with another devices. The method of
efficiency measurement had discussed in previous research.
This paper will discuss about the way to harvest radio waves
in 900 MHz frequency to low power portable devices.
II. METHODOLOGY
A. Study Literature
Study literature is the first step in this research by looking
for the references which is related to the topic such as, RF
harvesting GSM 800-900 MHz, electromagnetic waves
transmission, antenna propagation, voltage rectifier circuit,
voltage amplifier and voltage regulator. References could
come whether from electronics or non-electronics,
international journal, and proceeding.

I. INTRODUCTION B. Design and Prototyping

The huge number of portable electronic devices that had 1) Design of Microstrip Antenna and Waves Rectifier:
applied in various field strive for an innovation which is Microstrip antenna integrated along with rectifier to make
portable too for the field of energy source. Until today, rectenna.
portable devices that spread out to the market and brought by
consumer still using energy source which provided by grid
utilities. Energy harvesting emerge as environmentally energy
source such as, piezoelectric, photovoltaic, Teflon paper
generator, and rectenna. A considerable part from the way to
obtain power of portable devices use capacitor or battery as
energy source. The shortage from utilizing battery/capacitor as
energy source is, they require the need to substitute and refill
periodically. The shortage could be deal by build a portable
energy source, so electricity enables to flow through
Fig. 1 Design of rectenna circuit
continuously.
Radio frequency comes as renewable energy source and
potentially to be portable energy source by converting radio
waves to be electricity through a media and electromagnetic
concept. Free radio frequency in band 900 Mhz possible to be
harvested. This condition totally fortunes to harvest radio
waves to be energy harvesting even though the challenge is
low power output. The one of the components to harvest radio Fig. 2 (a) Scheme of voltage doubler circuit and (b) Result of voltage
waves is antenna. Utilizing antenna to movable devices amplifier
 The 13th Hokkaido Indonesian Student Association Scientific Meeting (HISAS 13)
Voltage doubler consist of two diode and two capacitor. This
circuit can amplify the voltage twice as the input. At negatif
signal they will fill the capacitor (C1) then at positif signal
they will come to second capacitor (C2) so the voltage result
will twice as the input. The base material from rectenna made
from FR4 with ( ) 4,5 and substrate high (h) 1,6 mm. The
form of the patch is rectangular.
2) Design of Rectifier: Rectifier circuit consists from
low pass filter (LPF) and rectifier diode. LPF functions as
resonance circuit and matching impedance. Low pass filter
uses 2 pF capacitor and 18 mH inductance to obtain 839.2
Mhz. DC voltage output obtained from two Schottky diode
BAT-60 which has low forward voltage. This diode has built
and optimize for 915 MHz until 5.8 GHz. The diode and
capacitor using surface mount device (SMD) which easier for
fabrication.
D. Device Finalizing
After experiment and evaluating, the next step is data
analysis and device improvement. If from experiment and
evaluating process obtained not quite result from waste heat
recovery system, thus would do correction and then re-
experiment and evaluating.
E. Conclusion
Determining the conclusion obtained based on process in
sequence which had did before. From this conclusion could
get advice and reference to further research regarding this
topic.
III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
A. Designing and Prototyping Result
In designing antenna in previous chapter, obtained the final
result of antenna geometry as follow:
TABLE I
FINAL RESULT OF ANTENNA MICROSTRIP GEOMETRY IN 900 MHZ

Variable Value Explanation

W 96 mm Wide of antenna patch
Fig. 3 RF Power harvesting with LTSpice IV L 75.1 mm Length of antenna
patch
Electromagnetic signal catch by antenna as the input is Ws 154 mm Substrate wide
represented by voltage source (V1) with AC. D1 until D12 is a Ls 112.2 mm Substrate length
model of diode BAT-60 which made by the parameter of his Wf 4 mm Feed line wide
datasheet. C1 and C2 is the capacitor at the first stage, then C3
yo 24.5 mm Inset feed length slot
and C4 is the second stage, etc.
Wi 4 mm Inset feed wide slot
3) Storage: To obtain higher voltage output so
H 1.6 mm Substrate thick
microstrip antenna along with all components would be
arrangement as series.

Fig. 4 Storage circuit

C. Experiment and Evaluating

Experiment and evaluating is the step to collecting the data
to determine device performance in ideal condition. Fig. 5
Fig. 6 Rectifier prototyping and design
shows antenna experiment using spectrum analyser, while for
rectenna using voltmeter. The measurement aims to determine
whether antenna has work optimally in frequency design or
not. Bandwidth output from this experiment captured in dBm
unit.

Fig. 7 Antenna microstrip geometry

Fig. 5 Experiment scheme

 The 13th Hokkaido Indonesian Student Association Scientific Meeting (HISAS 13)
B. Simulation Result tend to oscillate between 4.2 volt and 4.3 volt. Besides, RF
Antenna simulation worked using CST Microwave Studio Power Harvester that using 1 nF capacitor obtained stability
2011 program. The parameters that would be analysis from value in 4.1 volt.
simulation result as follow:
1) S11-Parameter: The simulation result from S11-
Parameter shows in Fig. 8

Fig. 11 Power harvester simulation result

D. Power Level Measurement

Fig. 8 Simulation result of S11-parameter To measure power level used transmitter radio link that
S11-Parameter is the value to determine return loss. Return functioned as power generator. Access point arrangement to
loss below -10dB referable as work frequency. From Fig. 8 work in 12 channels. The maximum power from transmitter is
obtains that minimum frequency and maximum frequency are 25 dBm.
896.86 MHz and 903.61 MHz respectively. The middle TABLE II
frequency is 900 MHz which hold S11-Parameter value up to POWER LEVEL FROM RECEIVER IN 900 MHZ
-46.82 dB. Thus, reflection coefficient obtains 0.00456 and Distance (cm) Power Level Receiver (dBm)
means that power delivered through antenna reach up to 20 -6
99.54396% from total energy received.
30 -7
2) VSWR: The simulation result of VSWR shows in Fig.
40 -11
9. From the graph, antenna capable to give good VSWR in
50 -16
900 MHz along with VSWR value is 1.007. so, this value is
fix with the standard of maximum allowable VSWR that’s is 60 -58
below 1.5 70 -16
80 -16
90 -19
100 -19
110 -18
120 -23
130 -25
140 -26
150 -21
Fig. 9 VSWR simulation result
E. Voltage Measurement Result
3) Impedance: The simulation result of antenna
impedance shows in Fig. 10. Antenna gives good impedance The result of voltage measurement is that output RF Power
value approach to transmission impedance 50 ohm (Zl = Z0) Harvester shows maximum value in 3 volts for 20 cm distance
from power generator and less than 1 volt for 40 cm distance.
Besides, the voltage output measurement from integrated
rectenna obtained maximum value in 5 volts for 20 cm
distance and less than 1 volt in distance over 60 cm. Power
from integrated rectenna obtained by dividing quadratic of
voltage output result with inside resistance. Along with 1.1
mega ohm and 5 volts, the power output obtained is 22.73
microwatt (current = 4.55 microampere)
Fig. 10 Antenna impedance result

C. RF Power Harvester Simulation Result

Simulation worked by inputting sinusoidal voltage with
amplitude 0.5 volt in 2.45 Ghz frequency. Then, obtained the
voltage output without load which has same direction and
experienced of gain up to 9 times from voltage input. From
Fig. 11, the maximum voltage output can be seen from RF
Power Harvester that using 100 pF capacitor, even though
Fig. 12 Comparation of input and output base on distance
 The 13th Hokkaido Indonesian Student Association Scientific Meeting (HISAS 13)
F. Testing of Integrated Rectenna in Electronic Device 1. Antenna capable to work in good condition in
Firstly, measure the resistance from electronic device to get frequency between 896.86 until 903.61 MHz with
information about inside resistance from the device that would maximum gain 2.85 dBi.
be connect. Table III shows resistance value from each device. 2. Utilizing of integrated rectenna could be applied to be
energy source for electronic device with power 2.48
TABLE III
TESTING OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES
microwatt.
3. Designed rectenna which integrated could improve
Require Supply by power transfer along with decrease connector losses.
Measured
Current Rectenna 4. Closer rectenna to transmitter, thus output voltage
Device Resistance
Needed in 20 cm could be harvest more higher. Output voltage from
(kilo ohm)
(microampere) Distance integrated rectenna capable to supply calculator.
Calculator 5. Multistage system in RF Power Harvester causes
Citizen 908 1.65 LCD On inside resistance to be very big (1.1 mega ohm), so
SD-100N current resulted to be very small (4.55 microampere)
HTC-1 6. The measured of output voltage in integrated rectenna
Temperatu up to 5 volts with power output 22.73 microwatt.
re and 251 6 LCD Off
Humidity ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Meter We would like to express our deep gratitude to Mr.
Wirawan for his patience guidance, enthusiastic
encouragement and useful critiques of this paper. We would
also like to extend our thanks to our friends and families; they
were a great source of support and encouragement.

Fig. 13 Transfer of noncable power in calculator
Fig. 13(a) shows that calculator LCD could light with high
intensity in 15 cm distance. Besides that, Fig. 13(b) shows that
LCD tend to be overcast in 20 cm distance and then off.
Power could be measure by dividing quadratic of voltage
result with inside resistance, then obtained 2.48 microwatt.
Fig. 10 Transfer of noncable power in temperature and humidity censor
From Fig. 10 shows that LCD could not light in 20 cm
distance. While access point moves approach till less than 10
cm distance, LCD could light even though didn’t stable.
IV. CONCLUSION
Based on the result given from designing of integrated
rectenna for wireless power transfer application, thus the
conclusion can be described as follow:
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