Electromechanical performance of textile-based antenna systems embedded in composite structures

Abstract This study evaluates the electromechanical performance of a multifunctional antenna system integrated into Kevlar fabric and composite structures, with an emphasis on wireless signal transmission during tensile and bending loads. Instead of conducting a full electromagnetic characterization, wireless power transmission was used as a surrogate signal to simplify electrical analysis and enable consistent performance tracking during mechanical deformation. Power retention served as the primary metric to assess signal stability under loading, while Digital Image Correlation was used to monitor strain distribution. The embroidered Kevlar-based antenna maintained stable power transmission up to 2.2% tensile strain, with complete signal loss occurring at approximately 11% strain. When integrated into a composite structure, the antenna retained signal transmission up to 1.4% strain, corresponding to mechanical failure of the composite. During flexural testing, signal performance declined progressively with increasing curvature but remained fully recoverable below 2% flexural strain. Beyond this range, irreversible damage to the composite resulted in permanent degradation of signal transmission. These results highlight the antenna’s performance under axial loading and its limitations under bending, offering insights into its mechanical-electrical coupling behavior. Full stress–strain curves are presented for both fabric and composite specimens, showing good repeatability and statistical consistency across samples. While this feasibility-focused study does not include traditional electromagnetic parameters such as S-parameters, return loss, or gain, it establishes a quantitative foundation for the continued development of embedded textile antenna systems in structurally demanding applications.