Cabin ceiling-integrated broadband antenna for wireless services in passenger aircraft

Abstract

This document reports on the concept, design, fabrication, and characterisation of an antenna suitable for the distribution of wireless services in passenger aircraft cabins. The boundary conditions are compactness, a bandwidth from 400 MHz to 6 GHz, invisibility to the passenger, and uniform illumination of the cabin in combination with several identical antennas. For that, a planar spiral antenna on a flexible substrate was chosen and it is structurally integrated in the ceiling panels of the interior cabin lining. For increasing the clearance behind the antenna and thus, improving the performance, the thickness of the panel is reduced at the location of the antenna. Measured return loss of the integrated antenna demonstrates the desired performance and quantifies its susceptibility to environmental influences like water and metal bodies in close proximity which are relevant in its application scenario.