Design of an efficiency‐enhanced Greinacher rectifier operating in the GSM 1800 band by using rat‐race coupler for RF energy harvesting applications

Abstract

Radio frequency energy harvesting (RFEH) circuits can convert the power of communication signals from radio frequencies (RF) in the environment into direct current and voltage (DC power). In this study, the Greinacher full-wave rectifier circuit topology was combined with a 180° hybrid ring (rat-race) coupler which was a passive RF/microwave circuit. Thus, higher RF-DC conversion efficiency was obtained. First, using the Greinacher rectifier topology, RFEH circuit operating at the center frequency of 1850 MHz was designed. Then, at this frequency, designing of the rat-race coupler having 1000 MHz bandwidth was made. The S-parameter measurements and simulation data of the designed coupler circuit were compared. Finally, the high efficiency rectifier circuit where these two circuits were used together was designed. The proposed rectifier circuit was constructed on 70 × 70 × 1.6 mm3 FR4 substrate material with a permittivity of 4.3 (εr = 4.3). The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the rectifier circuit, which had 125 MHz bandwidth at the center frequency of 1850 MHz and was developed with rat-race coupler, was calculated as 71% at 4.7 dBm input power. In addition, with this study, at −15 dBm input power, which was a relatively low power level, 40% PCE value was obtained.