Optimized UHF antenna design, simulation, and implementation applied to residential HVAC motors
Abstract
There is relentless rising demand for wireless communication and radio frequency hardware in daily life. Applications of everyday wireless communication include: cell phones, smart devices/tablets, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, medical device location networks, wireless remote electronics, home networks, internet capable home appliances and home electronics. Each application requires a variety of radio frequency hardware to successfully communicate wirelessly. A new and interesting application of wireless communication is implementing a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system with wireless capabilities. The uses for such a HVAC system include: a wireless sensor network (WSN) that can facilitate energy savings operation modes and system status updates, system maintenance requests and updates, remote control of the system, and over the air firmware updates. In this research, a standard HVAC blower motor is provided wireless communications features. Specific challenges of implementing this type of HVAC motor are considered. A standard printed control board (PCB) ultra-high frequency (UHF) F-antenna (FA) is taken and optimized for total gain, and bandwidth. After optimization, the antennas were built and tested using a vector network analyzer (VNA). The test results were then compared to the simulation results to for verification. Once the simulation results were verified, a new series of simulations were built to test varying environmental effects on the antenna such as the ones from: the PCB board enclosure material, the PCB enclosure material with a thin layer of water, placing the antenna inside the motor control board enclosure, the motor control board enclosure with power and signal connectors, and the orientation within the motor control board enclosure. This research shows the feasibility of implementing a PCB UHF FA to create a wireless HVAC motor, and the effectiveness of the simulation procedures used.
Degree
M.S.E.
Advisors
Pomalaza Raez, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Engineering
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