Patch antenna array designs for wireless communication applications inside jet engines

Abstract

In this paper, two different patch antenna geometries are proposed for wireless sensor applications involving electromagnetic propagation from inside the jet engine to our designed relaying antenna at the rim of the inlet. First, an enhanced modified version of our earlier proposed two-element circular patch antenna array is proposed. We follow with a fresh new design based on two-element array of hybrid rectangular circular patch antenna geometry. Both antenna designs are discussed in light of basic governing equations enabling initial design calculations, intuitions behind selecting the design elements based on desired propagation characteristics, simulation results, as well as fabrication and experimental measurements. Because of the environmental constraints, the proposed antennas need to be an extremely low profile and ultrathin. The proposed relaying antennas are designed to have a dual-beam pattern, one of which is directed toward the inside of the jet engine. The antennas are simulated using HFSS as well as fabricated and measured inside an anechoic chamber. Experimental results, which sufficiently agree well with the simulation results, demonstrate the achievement of the desired characteristics by fabricated antennas for deployment on jet engines.