Effect of Ground on V-folding Flexible Kapton-based Antenna

Abstract

Introduction: In this paper, we explore the world of flexible patch antennas, specifically focusing on their horizontal V-folding percentages. The folding of these antennas plays a crucial role in the realm of wireless communication. Methods: Our V-folding antenna is ingeniously crafted for seamless communication with objects featuring sharp curves. What sets our study apart is the exploration of the effects of Vfolding percentages on the current distribution, a novel approach. We closely monitored the surface current distribution of the V-folded antenna, considering the percentage-wise impact along with the influence of the ground plane. Delving deeper, we scrutinized changes in ground plane size and drew comparisons between a standard ground and a resized one in the context of the V-folded patch antenna. Results: The resized ground plane outshone its normal counterpart, exhibiting superior performance. With the normal ground, the FPA operated at 1.42 GHz and 4.485 GHz. Postresizing the ground, it showcased commendable stability in retaining the V-folding frequency shift. Conclusion: Crafting the antenna's structure was a meticulous process accomplished through the use of CST Microwave Studio software, and we validated our design using a vector network analyzer.