Design of 2.45 GHz Meander Dipole Antenna for Energy Harvesting

Energy harvesting refers to the process of capturing and storing various external sources of energy in a wireless autonomous device. These sources of energy can include thermal energy, solar energy, salinity gradients, wind energy, and kinetic or ambient energy. Energy harvesting offers an alternative solution by powering devices in locations without traditional power sources, eliminating the need for batteries and wiring. In the context of radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting, the choice of antenna, such as the meander dipole antenna, plays a vital role in achieving high gain and optimal power transfer. The objective of this study is to propose the meander dipole antenna as the energy harvesting antenna at a frequency of 2.45 GHz using CST Studio Suite Software. FR-4 is chosen as the substrate with a permittivity of 4.8. The number of meander segments of the antenna design was varied from 2 to 5. The antenna performance also will be observed with difference in thickness substrate and ground. The results show that the thickness of the ground and substrate, the number of meanders and discrete port length does affect the antenna's frequency performance. The proposed meander dipole antenna operates effectively at 4 meanders with a substrate thickness of 2.3 mm and a ground layer thickness of 1 mm. This design yields a frequency of 2.4479 GHz, acceptable return loss value of - 15.204 dB, and a bandwidth of 28.079 MHz. The proposed antenna is suitable for use in RF energy harvesting, targeting ambient signals at 2.45 GHz.