Lamecki-Debicki 2002

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BROADBAND PROPERTIES
OF A MINKOWSKI FRACTAL CURVE ANTENNA

Adam Lamęcki* and Piotr Dębicki*

Abstract. Opportunity of design a broadband planar antenna using fractal geometry is presented in this paper.
Proposed design of antenna is a Minkowski fractal curve dipole; results of impedance and radiation pattern
simulations are provided. On higher frequencies broadband impedance match have been achieved, which
confirms a thesis of broadband Minkowski fractal antenna properties.

Introduction.
Fractals due to their self-similarity and method of space filling are very interesting area of investigation
in whole science (detailed information about fractals can be found in [1]). Fractals have been used in computer
graphics and coding, non-linear chaotic circuits and more. In microwaves, especially antenna design, it is still
quite new field of research. Generally by using fractals in antennas some of properties can be reached:
- reduction of physical radiator size, degree of reduction depends on type of fractal used,
- multiband behaviour is result of self-similarity,
- radiation patterns in bands different also are self-similar,
- non-integral ratio of following resonant frequencies,
- opportunity of realisation in planar technique,
Goal of our job was to examine a possibility of broadband properties of fractal antennas. A few of fractal
antennas have been proposed and realised since today, two of them were described in [2] and [3]. Both have
structure of fractal monopole antenna over conductor plane; first uses a Koch curve, and second uses Sierpinski
gasket. In our paper we use a Minkowski curve (method of iterative construction is shown at figure 1). Fractal
dimension of this curve is equal d=3/2; in every iteration the total length of curve is multiplied by two. Great
advantage of Minkowski fractal shape is that it is easy to approximate it by rectangular grid used in most of full
wave electromagnetic simulators.

εr

Figure 2. Non-fractal planar Figure 3. Planar symmetric


Figure 1. Generation of dipole antenna and used co- line.
Minkowski curve fractal ordinate system

Proposed design and analysis method.


A dipole based antenna, differ from a monopole presented in [1] and [2], is proposed in this paper.
A conductor ground plane is not necessary in this approach; antenna montage is less complicated and structure
becomes planar. Figure 2 shows base (non-fractal, iteration index n=0) structure - an antipodal planar dipole
feeded by a planar symmetrical line (figure 3) and used co-ordinate system. In practical antenna realisation,
antenna is feed from microstrip line and a standard transformation circuit from microstrip to symmetrical line
have to be designed [4]. Straight arms of dipole were changed in Minkowski fractal curve at n=1,2,3 iterations
and successively simulated. Analysis of higher iteration index (n > 3) fractal structures is very difficult because

*
Technical University of Gdansk, Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, ul.Narutowicza 11/12,
80-952 Gdansk, Poland; e-mail : lamecki@wp.pl, pid@eti.pg.gda.pl
of numerical costs. All structures were simulated using FDTD method in QuickWave3D simulator on Pentium III
800 MHz with 384 MB RAM computer. Length of each base dipole arm was assumed as L=40 mm and width
w=0.4 mm, all antennas were made on εr = 2.2 and h=0.508 mm substrate. Input impedance parameters and
radiation patterns of these antennas were simulated in frequency range of 0.6-18GHz. A third fractal iteration
was simulated in limited frequency band; it resulted from of high numeric analysis cost.

Simulation results.
On low frequency range (0.6-4Ghz) analyzed structure is a narrow-band antenna, and her behaviour is
analogue to a straight dipole. Figures 3 and 4 show antenna input impedance in this frequency band for
successive iterations. In every iteration curve becomes two-times longer and, in effect, first resonance frequency
decrease with reduction factor k < 2 (antenna operate on lower frequency). While straight dipole first resonance
n=0 is on frequency f=1.56GHz, for n=1 it decreases to f=0.995GHz and for n=2 to f=0.768GHz. It can be seen
that input reactance has a capacitive constant component which comes from antenna feeding geometry. This
capacitance is difficult to estimate and is increasing resonant frequencies. Interesting fact is that radiation
patterns of n=1,2 fractal antennas remains radiation patterns of straight dipole. Figures 5 and 6 show radiation
patterns of n=2 antenna at f=0.76GHz and f=1.28GHz in two planes.

Figure 3. Input resistance of Minkowski dipole at 0.6-4GHz Figure 4. Input reaktance of Minkowski dipole at 0.6-4GHz

X - Z Y - Z X - Z Y - Z

Figure 5. Antenna n=2 radiation patterns at f = 0.78GHz. Figure 6. Antenna n=2 radiation patterns at f = 1.28GHz

Antenna n=0,1,2 input impedances at frequency band 4GHz - 18GHz are shown on figures 7 and 8.
While frequency increases antenna input impedance looses resonant circuit character and opportunity of a
broadband impedance match appears. At each iteration of fractal curve a limit frequency between resonant and
non-resonant antenna character is different and increases with iteration index n. In result, a broadband match can
be achieved at higher frequency. Input reactance has a capacitive character, therefore a special matching circuit
must be used to obtain a broadband match. One antenna structure can operate on several different frequency
bands depend on matching circuit parameters. As an example figure 9 shows s11 of antennas for n=1 with
appropriate 2-segments symmetric line impedance matching circuit. Simulations for n=3 were made in limited
frequency band 6-22GHz. Figure 10 shows obtained s11 parameter of n=3 antenna with appropriate matching
circuit.
Figure 7. Input resistance of Minkowski dipole at 4-18GHz Figure 8. Input reactance of Minkowski dipole at 4-18GHz

Figure 9. Parameter s11 for n=1 Minkowski fractal Figure 10. Parameter s11 for n=3 Minkowski fractal
antenna with two different impedance matching antena with impedance matching circuit
circuits

f = 17GHz X-Z Y-Z X-Y

f = 18GHz

Figure 11. Radiation patterns of n=2 Minkowski dipole.


Figure 12. Physical realisation of n=3 Minkowski fractal curve antenna

At high frequencies radiation patterns of antennas vary in wide frequency band therefore antenna effective
usable bandwidth is restricted by changes of these patterns in particular application. As an example, figure 11
shows radiation patterns of n=3 Minkowski dipole on frequencies 17GHz and 18GHz. Such antenna have been
physically realised and measured (figure 12).

Conclusions
Proposed Minkowski fractal curve antenna design on low frequencies behaves as a straight dipole
antenna witch is physically longer; it gives a chance to minimise antenna size and is very important in portable
device applications. On higher frequencies broadband impedance match have been achieved, which confirms a
thesis of broadband Minkowski fractal antenna properties. An opportunity to improve radiation performance is,
as an example, to change the fractal shape by non-uniform scaling or randomising; it will be object of future
work.

References

[1] H.-O.Peitgen,H.Jurgens,D.Saupe, Granice chaosu. Fraktale, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa


1997.
[2] C.Puente,J.Romeu, A.Cardama "The Koch monopole : A~Small Fractal Antenna", IEEE Transactions on
Antennas and Propagation, Vol 48, No. 11, November 2000
[3] C. Puente-Baliarda, J.Romeu, R.Pous, A.Cardama "On the Behavior of the Sierpinski Multiband Fractal
Antenna" in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol 46, No. 4, April 1988
[4] B.J. Janiczak, J.Chramiec " Modelowanie szerokopasmowych transformatorów standardu : linia
mikropaskowa - symetryczna linia paskowa podwieszona", Raport Badawczy Nr 22/94, Politechnika
Gdańska, WETI, 1994

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