Radio-Frequency Energy Harvesting using 3D-Printed Rectennas

This article introduces a novel rectenna utilizing 3D additive manufacturing and operating at 2.45 GHz. The idea is to optimize the antenna array gain/size factor to harvest the maximum power at a specific power density for a given distance. The proposed energy harvesting system comprises an antenna array, and the rectifier is designed based on a Figure of Merit that considers factors such as gain, size, resistor load, and distance to the transmission antenna. For validation, a rectenna is implemented with a low-cost 3D printing process, and metallization is accomplished directly using metallic tape. The experiment is conducted in an RF ambient environment, resulting in the conversion of 10.5 mW/m² to 0.1 V.