Design and Fabrication of a 3D Printed Helical Antenna for 2.45 GHz ISM Band Applications with Circular Polarisation and High Gain

A copper wire Helical Antenna with a support made using 3D Printed Poly Lactic Acid(PLA) for circular polarization over a generously wide axial-ratio(AR) bandwidth are presented. Impact of the amount of PLA used within the coil diameter as well as the geometric parameters of the Helix on antenna performance (Reflection Coefficient, AR, Gain, Radiation Pattern) are studied and analyzed thoroughly. The prototype of the antenna is fabricated by coiling a copper wire of 1 mm diameter around a pre-designed PLA structure with threads to support the helix of the antenna according to the number of turns and spacing between each turn. With a maximum gain of 8.01 dB and a high radiation efficiency of 99%, the antenna resonates at 2.45 GHz, making it suitable for a wide range of possible ISM band applications. The helical antenna has a bandwidth of 0.15λ0 at the center frequency and 3dB AR bandwidth ranges from 2.3 to 2.5 GHz. These results demonstrate the viability and ease of fabrication of highly efficient helical antennas using 3D printer technology.