Abstract
This paper presents the feasibility of integrating meshed patch antennas directly onto the solar cell assembly to save valuable surface real estate of a small satellite. The solar cell cover glass is used as the substrate for the patch antenna. The integrated patch antennas are required to be transparent to light in order to ensure the proper operation of solar cells. It is found that the mesh geometry can be designed to offer the optimal transparency and antenna radiation at the same time. To design the transparent solar cell antennas in the presence of photovoltaic cells, Ansoft’s HFSS is used to model patch antennas on solar cells and the dielectric constant of solar cells is approximated with that of silicon.In order to verify the design, meshed antennas are printed with conductive ink on plastic substrate and measured results are compared against the design data from simulations.
Presentation Slides
Integrated Optically Transparent Solar Cell Antennas Made from Meshed Conductors
This paper presents the feasibility of integrating meshed patch antennas directly onto the solar cell assembly to save valuable surface real estate of a small satellite. The solar cell cover glass is used as the substrate for the patch antenna. The integrated patch antennas are required to be transparent to light in order to ensure the proper operation of solar cells. It is found that the mesh geometry can be designed to offer the optimal transparency and antenna radiation at the same time. To design the transparent solar cell antennas in the presence of photovoltaic cells, Ansoft’s HFSS is used to model patch antennas on solar cells and the dielectric constant of solar cells is approximated with that of silicon.In order to verify the design, meshed antennas are printed with conductive ink on plastic substrate and measured results are compared against the design data from simulations.
