| Summary: | High performance buildings, also known as green buildings, are designed primarily to be energy-efficient so as to save cost and natural resources. In the electronically connected world today, the increase in demand for wireless communications by devices and humans in buildings through the usage of Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth has resulted in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum to get progressively crowded. Coupled with the popularity of the 2.4 GHz band among the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) radio bands due to its bandwidth, range and cost, this provides great RF energy harvesting possibilities. This can be achieved by designing a meta-resonator antenna array operating at 2.4 GHz which is presented in greater details in this report.
Firstly, a thorough and in-depth background research on various types of energy harvesting antennas is done so that a mathematical model can be established to predict the different parameters for the antenna. Then, the concept of metaresonator antennas is introduced, leading to the design and configuration of a unit cell. With the help of simulation software (CST), this allows the unit cell to be created, optimized and simulated so as to evaluate the performance and characteristics of it and to verify the mathematically predicted model. Next, the antenna array can then be proceeded to be formed by combining a number of unit cells together modelled using CST as well. Once the meta-resonator antenna array is successfully designed and proposed, it is fabricated on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to allow experiments to be carried out to verify the simulation results. Finally, observations and outcomes from the experimental results are consolidated and discussed followed by the conclusion of the entire project. A project demonstration of the prototype designed and oral presentation will conclude the project.
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