TY - JOUR
T1 - High Performance Electrically Small Huygens Rectennas Enable Wirelessly Powered Internet of Things Sensing Applications: A Review
AU - Lin, Wei
AU - Ziolkowski, Richard W.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Professor Jianquan Huang from Xiangnan University for his assistance with the measurement campaigns; and Professor Yingjie Jay Guo from University of Technology Sydney for his support of these efforts. This work was supported by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship (PRO18-6147) and Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) (PRO20-9959). Wei Lin and Richard W. Ziolkowski declare that they have no conflict of interest or financial conflicts to disclose.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship ( PRO18-6147 ) and Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) ( PRO20-9959 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 THE AUTHORS
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - Far-field wireless power transfer (WPT) is a major breakthrough technology that will enable the many anticipated ubiquitous Internet of Things (IoT) applications associated with fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), and beyond wireless ecosystems. Rectennas, which are the combination of rectifying circuits and antennas, are the most critical components in far-field WPT systems. However, compact application devices require even smaller integrated rectennas that simultaneously have large electromagnetic wave capture capabilities, high alternating current (AC)-to-direct current (DC) (AC-to-DC) conversion efficiencies, and facilitate a multifunctional wireless performance. This paper reviews various rectenna miniaturization techniques such as meandered planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) rectennas; miniaturized monopole- and dipole-based rectennas; fractal loop and patch rectennas; dielectric-loaded rectennas; and electrically small near-field resonant parasitic rectennas. Their performance characteristics are summarized and then compared with our previously developed electrically small Huygens rectennas that are proven to be more suitable for IoT applications. They have been tailored, for example, to achieve battery-free IoT sensors as is demonstrated in this paper. Battery-free, wirelessly powered devices are smaller and lighter in weight in comparison to battery-powered devices. Moreover, they are environmentally friendly and, hence, have a significant societal benefit. A series of high-performance electrically small Huygens rectennas are presented including Huygens linearly-polarized (HLP) and circularly-polarized (HCP) rectennas; wirelessly powered IoT sensors based on these designs; and a dual-functional HLP rectenna and antenna system. Finally, two linear uniform HLP rectenna array systems are considered for significantly larger wireless power capture. Example arrays illustrate how they can be integrated advantageously with DC or radio frequency (RF) power-combining schemes for practical IoT applications.
AB - Far-field wireless power transfer (WPT) is a major breakthrough technology that will enable the many anticipated ubiquitous Internet of Things (IoT) applications associated with fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), and beyond wireless ecosystems. Rectennas, which are the combination of rectifying circuits and antennas, are the most critical components in far-field WPT systems. However, compact application devices require even smaller integrated rectennas that simultaneously have large electromagnetic wave capture capabilities, high alternating current (AC)-to-direct current (DC) (AC-to-DC) conversion efficiencies, and facilitate a multifunctional wireless performance. This paper reviews various rectenna miniaturization techniques such as meandered planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) rectennas; miniaturized monopole- and dipole-based rectennas; fractal loop and patch rectennas; dielectric-loaded rectennas; and electrically small near-field resonant parasitic rectennas. Their performance characteristics are summarized and then compared with our previously developed electrically small Huygens rectennas that are proven to be more suitable for IoT applications. They have been tailored, for example, to achieve battery-free IoT sensors as is demonstrated in this paper. Battery-free, wirelessly powered devices are smaller and lighter in weight in comparison to battery-powered devices. Moreover, they are environmentally friendly and, hence, have a significant societal benefit. A series of high-performance electrically small Huygens rectennas are presented including Huygens linearly-polarized (HLP) and circularly-polarized (HCP) rectennas; wirelessly powered IoT sensors based on these designs; and a dual-functional HLP rectenna and antenna system. Finally, two linear uniform HLP rectenna array systems are considered for significantly larger wireless power capture. Example arrays illustrate how they can be integrated advantageously with DC or radio frequency (RF) power-combining schemes for practical IoT applications.
KW - Antenna
KW - Array
KW - Cardioid pattern
KW - Electrically small antenna
KW - Huygens dipole antenna
KW - Internet of Things (IoT)
KW - Rectenna
KW - Rectifier circuit
KW - Wireless power transfer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127785155&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.eng.2021.08.025
DO - 10.1016/j.eng.2021.08.025
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85127785155
SN - 2095-8099
VL - 11
SP - 42
EP - 59
JO - Engineering
JF - Engineering
ER -