On the mechanics of composite structure and electromagnetics of microstrip antenna

Cc Hung,Se Tsai,Sm Yang

doi:10.1177/1687814017749661

Abstract

Composite structures with desire mechanical properties can be tailored to embed microstrip antenna in aerospace systems for reducing aerodynamic disturbance. The performance of a rectangular microstrip antenna in composite structures is analyzed in spectral domain in this work. Analysis shows that the electromagnetics of antenna in spectral domain is similar to the mechanics of composite structure in space domain. The electrical field, the immittance (impedance or admittance), and the current density are equivalent to the stress, strain, and stiffness in mechanics of composite structures. The governing equations, though may be of different dimensions, are also similar. It shall be expected that the performance of a microstrip antenna on composite structures is different from that on isotropic structures; just as the mechanics of the former is so different from that of the latter. Analysis confirms that antenna performance depends on the structure’s electromagnetic properties; similar to the mechanics of c...

Highlights

The concept of microstrip antenna can be traced back half century ago, but it has not received considerable attention until the development of printed-circuit technology, photolithographic techniques, and low loss tangent substrates Most studies on microstrip antennas were largely confined to antennas on isotropic structures using variation method[1,2] or Green’s function.[3]
The tangential electric field can be determined by the immittance equation, which is in similar matrix form as that in composite structure mechanics
Design of a microstrip antenna in composite laminates can be accomplished using a set of base functions, and the corresponding antenna patterns in space domain are available using inverse Fourier transform

Summary

Introduction

The concept of microstrip antenna can be traced back half century ago, but it has not received considerable attention until the development of printed-circuit technology, photolithographic techniques, and low loss tangent substrates (a quantity related to dielectric damping.) Most studies on microstrip antennas were largely confined to antennas on isotropic structures using variation method[1,2] or Green’s function.[3] A closed-form solution for the resonant frequency of a rectangular microstrip antenna was derived.[4] In recent development of smart structures,[5] embedded microstrip antenna has been proposed to protect it from environmental hazards. The above studies, were limited to antenna on isotropic structures. Many of the substrate materials, though treated as isotropic, are anisotropic

Objectives

Conclusion