Energy harvesting array based on off-center feed dipoles and EBG structure

In this paper, an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) backed all-textile rectifying antenna (rectenna) design is proposed for wearable RF energy harvesting application. The design consists of off-center feed dipole (OCFD) antennas and a polarization/incident angle insensitivity dual band EBG structure. The OCFD structure, combined with the high-impedance nature of the EBG plane, alter the input impedance of the antenna and allows the elimination of the matching network between the antenna and the rectifying circuit. The final system can operate in the WiFi and ISM bands (including the 2.45 GHz, 5.2 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands) to harvest RF energy. The designed rectenna can achieve a maximal on-body realized gain of 13.6 dBi, 14.5 dBi, and 13 dBi at 2.45 GHz, 5.2 GHz, and 5.8 GHz, respectively.