UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA DESIGN OF PLASMA ANTENNA FOR RECONFIGURABLE ...

224 Pages·2016·7.78 MB·English

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

DESIGN OF PLASMA ANTENNA FOR
RECONFIGURABLE BEAM STEERING
TECHNIQUE

HAJAR BINTI JA’AFAR

PhD

January 2016
1
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

DESIGN OF PLASMA ANTENNA FOR
RECONFIGURABLE BEAM STEERING
TECHNIQUE

HAJAR BINTI JA’AFAR

Thesis submitted in fulfillment
of the requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

Faculty of Electrical Engineering

January 2016
i
CONFIRMATION BY PANEL OF EXAMINERS

I certify that a Panel of Examiners has met on 22 October 2015 to conduct the final
examination of Hajar Binti Ja’afar on her Doctor of Philosophy thesis entitled "Design
of “Plasma Antenna For Reconfigurable Beam Steering Technique” in accordance
with Universiti Teknologi MARA Act 1976 (Akta 173). The Panel of Examiners
recommends that the student be awarded the relevant degree. The panel of Examiners
was as follows:

Datin Shah Rizam Mohd Shah Baki,PhD
Professor,Ir
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Universiti Teknologi MARA
(Chairman)

Nur Emileen Abd Rashid, PhD
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Universiti Teknologi MARA
(Internal Examiner)

Mohammad Tariqul Islam, PhD
Professor
Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
(External Examiner)

SAULEAU, Ronan, PhD
Professor
Antennes et Dispositifs Hyperfréquences
University of Rennes 1 (UR1)
(External Examiner)

SITI HALIJJAH SHARIFF, PhD
Associate Professor
Dean
Institute of Graduate Studies
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Date : 11th January 2016

ii
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I declare that the work in this thesis was carried out in accordance with the regulations
of Universiti Teknologi MARA. It is original and is the results of my own work,
unless otherwise indicated or acknowledge as referenced work. This thesis has not
been submitted to any other academic institution or non-academic institution for any
degree or qualification.

I, hereby, acknowledge that I have been supplied with the Academic Rules and
Regulations for Post Graduate, Universiti Teknologi MARA, regulating the conduct of
my study and research.

Name of Student : Hajar Binti Ja’afar
Student I.D No : 2011595953
Programme : Doctor of Philosophy (Electrical Engineering)
Faculty : Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Thesis Title : Design of Plasma Antenna for Reconfigurable Beam

Steering Technique
Signature of Student : ……………………………
Date : January 2016
iii
ABSTRACT

The industrial potential of plasma technology is well known and excellent
demonstrated in several processes of microwave technology, which incorporate some
use of an ionized medium. In vast majority of approaches, the plasma, or ionized
volume, simply replaced a solid conductor. Highly ionized plasma is essentially a
good conductor, and therefore plasma filaments can serve as transmission line
elements for guiding waves, or antenna surfaces for radiation. Plasma antenna is a
kind of antenna that radiate electromagnetic wave (EM) energy based on ionized gas
instead of metallic conductor in antenna design. In this research work, the
development using plasma medium as a conductor element instead of metal medium is
investigated. Three new design antenna by using plasma concepts were proposed;
namely cylindrical monopole plasma antenna using electrode-less discharge tube,
monopole plasma antenna using fluorescent tube and reconfigurable plasma antenna
array. The research described in this project introduces the analysis of cylindrical
monopole plasma antenna. Three types of gases with three different pressure which
are Argon gas, Neon gas and Hg-Ar gas (mixture of Argon gas and mercury vapor)
with pressure at 0.5 Torr, 5 Torr and 15 Torr respectively is used in this research to
observe the interaction between plasma medium and radio frequency (RF) signal. The
containers that use to fill the gas are namely electrode-less discharge tube. The
technique that used in this experiment to generate plasma is using Dielectric Barrier
Discharge (DBD). The monopole plasma antenna using fluorescent tube is designed at
frequency 2.4 GHz which is aim in wireless application. The commercially
fluorescent lamp is used as a plasma antenna. Coupling technique was used in this
design. In the reconfigurable plasma antenna array, the behavior of the reconfigurable
antenna array system using plasma medium has been investigated and discuss with
respect to the beam shaping characteristics. The reconfigurable plasma antenna array
is capable of scanning the radiation pattern over 360°. These results confirm that the
main beam directions can be directed in the following directions depending on the
states of switches which are 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°, 180°, 210°, 240°, 270°,
300° and 330°. The simulated and measured results are presented and compared, to
demonstrate the performance of the proposed antennas.
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious The Most Merciful.

I am grateful for guidance and continuous supports from my supervisor, Assoc Prof.
Dr. Mohd Tarmizi bin Ali. His inspiring advices and commitment during the period
of this work are invaluable. My particular thanks go to my second supervisor, Dr.
Ahmad Nazri bin Dagang, for his advices in numerous discussions especially on the
plasma parts.

My appreciations go to Mr Mohammad Khalim Kamsan, who helped me in the
technical parts including fabrications and measurements and lab technicians for their
guidance and assistance. I also appreciate to all my colleagues of Antenna Research
Group (ARG), Microwave Technology Center (MTC), Faculty of Electrical
Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), who have provided assistance and
for the memorable time spent together throughout the 3 years. The sweet memories
that we had shared are safely embedded in my heart and it will not be erased over
time.

I would like to acknowledge the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia and
University Teknologi MARA,Malaysia (UiTM) for the financial support throughout
my study.

I am also truly grateful to my parents (Mr. Ja’afar bin Mohd Tap and Mdm.
Satariah binti Hasan), parents in-law (Mr. Md Said bin Ayob and Mdm. Zaleha
binti Mohd) for their belief in me and their prayers during my doctoral journey. To
my siblings, the support and the prayers will never be paid by me.

I owed thanks to a very special person, my beloved and understanding husband Mr.
Mohd Amir Nurasyid bin Md Said for his unconditional support through the thick
and thin and also to my beloved and pretty daughter, Zara Sophea binti Mohd Amir
Nurasyid, I would like to express my thanks for being such a good girl always
cheering me up. Words would never say how grateful I am to both of you. I consider
myself the luckiest in the world to have such a lovely and caring family, standing
beside me with their love and unconditional support.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CONFIRMATION BY PANEL OF EXAMINERS ii
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION iii
ABSTRACT iv
ACKNOWLEGMENT v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF TABLES x
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST OF SYMBOLS xix
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xx

1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research Background 1
1.2 Problem Statement 4
1.3 Objectives 6
1.4 Scope of Work 6
1.5 Thesis Organization 7

CHAPTER TWO : BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW 9
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 Fundamental of Plasma 10
2.3 Ionization Process In Plasma Medium 11
2.4 Method of Generating Plasma 13
2.4.1 Electrode Discharge Tube 13
2.4.1.1 Plasma Generated by Using DC and AC 14
2.4.2 Electrode-less Discharge Tube 19
2.4.2.1 Capacitively Discharge Plasma(CDP) 19
2.4.2.2 Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) 22
2.4.2.3 Microwave Plasma 23
2.4.2.4 Radio Frequency (RF) Plasma 25
vi
2.4.2.5 Laser 27
2.5 Plasma Antenna Technology 29
2.5.1 Coupling Technique 29
2.5.2 Shape of Plasma Antenna 35
2.5.3 Reconfigurable Plasma Antenna 38
2.6 Summary 44

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 46
3.1 Introduction 46
3.2 Research Methodology 47
3.3 Fundamentals Parameters of Plasma Physics for Plasma Antenna 52
3.3.1 Plasma Frequency 52
3.3.2 Plasma Collision Frequency 54
3.3.3 Conductivity of the Plasma Medium 56
3.3.4 Complex Dielectric Permittivity of the Plasma Medium 59
3.4 Estimation of Plasma and Collision Frequency 60
3.5 Drude Dispersion Model for Designing Plasma 64
3.6 Fabrication and Measurement Setup 65
3.6.1 Fabrication Process 65
3.6.1.1 Cylindrical Monopole Plasma Antenna Using Electrode-Less 65
Discharge Tube
3.6.1.2 Monopole Plasma Antenna using Fluorescent Tube 68
3.6.1.3 Reconfigurable Plasma Antenna Array 70
3.6.2 Measurement Setup 73
3.6.2.1 Return Loss Measurement 73
3.6.2.2 Radiation Pattern Measurement 74
3.6.2.3 Radiation Signal Measurement 75
3.6.2.4 Measurement of Radiation Signal from Monopole Plasma 77
Antenna as a Transmitter
3.6.2.5 Measurement of Radiation Signal from Monopole Plasma 77
Antenna as a Receiver
3.6.2.6 Measurement of Signal Strength Monopole Plasma Antenna 78
vii
3.7 Summary 78

CHAPTER FOUR: A CHARACTERISTIC OF CYLINDRICAL
MONOPOLE PLASMA ANTENNA 80
4.1 Introduction 80
4.2 Electrode-Less Discharge For Dielectric Barrier Discharge 81
4.3 Design of Cylindrical Monopole Plasma Antenna 82
4.3.1 Design Procedure 82
4.3.2 Structure of Cylindrical Monopole Plasma Antenna 83
4.4 Analysis of Cylindrical Monopole Plasma Antenna 84
4.4.1Effect of Plasma Frequency on Complex Permittivity 84
4.4.2 Effect of Different Pressure 87
4.4.2.1 Argon Gas 87
4.4.2.2 Neon Gas 89
4.4.2.3 Hg-Ar Gas 92
4.4.3 Comparison of Different Gas Performance 94
4.5 Results and Discussion 100
4.6 Summary 104

CHAPTER FIVE: DEVELOPMENT MONOPOLE PLASMA
ANTENNA USING FLUORESCENT TUBE FOR WIRELESS
TRANSMISSION 106
5.1 Introduction 106
5.2 Mercury –Argon (Hg-Ar) Fluorescent Lamp 107
5.3 Parameter Study On A Monopole Plasma Antenna Using Fluorescent Tube 108
5.3.1 Effects of the Length of Monopole Plasma Antenna 111
5.3.2 Effects of Diameter Plasma Antenna 112
5.3.3 Effects of Parameter for Coupling Sleeve 112
5.4 Analysis Between Monopole Plasma Antenna and Metal Antenna 115
5.5 Simulation and Measurement Results 117
5.6 Wireless Signal Transmission Experiment 119
5.6.1 Experiment Radiation Signal 119
5.6.2 Monopole Plasma Antenna as a Transmitter 121
viii
5.6.3 Monopole Plasma Antenna as a Receiver 122
5.6.4 Signal Strength for Monopole Plasma Antenna 123
5.7 Summary 124

CHAPTER SIX: DEVELOPMENT OF RECONFIGURABLE PLASMA
ANTENNA ARRAY 126
6.1 Introduction 126
6.2 Reconfigurable Plasma Antenna Array 126
6.2.1 Reconfigurable Plasma Antenna Array Structure 127
6.3 Analysis of Reconfigurable Plasma Antenna Array 129
6.3.1 Effect of Distance Between Monopole Antenna to Fluorescent 129
Tube,D
BB
6.3.2 Effect of Thickness of Ground,t 131
6.3.3 Effect of Length of Monopole Antenna,L 132
M
6.3.4 Effect of Numbers of Fluorescent Tubes and Adjacent Angle,θ 133
6.3.5 Effect of Fluorescent Tubes on Radiation Pattern 135
6.4 Switching Pattern of Reconfigurable Plasma Antenna Array for Beam 136
Scanning
6.5 Simulation and Measurement Results of Reconfigurable Plasma Antenna 145
Array
6.6 Summary 154

CHAPTER SEVEN : CONCLUSION, FUTURE WORKS AND
RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION 156
7.1 Conclusion 156
7.2 Future Works 157
7.2.1 Different Types of Gases 158
7.2.2 Operating Frequency 158
7.2.3 Different Shape of Plasma Antenna 158
7.3 Research Contribution 158
REFRENCES 160
APPENDICES 171
AUTHOR’S PROFILE 198
ix