Flexible 4-Element Array for On-body RF Energy Harvesting Applications Using Aerosol Jet Printing

Abstract

This research focuses on the design, fabrication and testing of a compact, flexible 4-element array using Aerosol jet printing technology (AJP). The array operates at ISM-band 2.45 GHz for on-body RF energy harvesting applications (RFEH). The optimized array was printed on a flexible polyimide substrate with compact dimensions, where each element measures 30 x 16 mm 2• The simulated results were validated through testing, which exhibit good agreement, indicating that AJP is a precise and effective technique for printing high-resolution, conformal and flexible antennas. The design and optimization of the rectifier were performed at 2.45 GHz to ensure seamless integration with each element of the proposed array. The rectifier analysis demonstrated good performances, achieving output voltage of 3.5 V and a power conversion efficiency of 76.8 % at 10 dBm input power with a 2 kΩ load. This potential marks the path for further advancements in RFEH applications.