Initial Design and Validation of Packaging Directional Antennas for Structural Health and Road Condition Monitoring

摘要

This paper presents an effort that is aimed at addressing two challenges in the monitoring of some bridges and roads: poor wireless signal transmission and low real-world survivability of wireless sensors. A product is proposed; a prototype is designed and made to protect some off-the-shelf wireless sensors and improve their performance. The design is based on numerical simulations of the electromagnetic field including using finite-difference time-domain method. To protect the wireless sensors and all other components, basic structural analysis is exercised to obtain an enclosure design that tends to optimize the load-carrying capacity given the design constraints. All materials used for the enclosure have low electrical conductivities limiting or nullifying their negative imprint on wireless communication. Off-the-shelf components are utilized as often as possible to minimize the overall cost and expedite the manufacturing process. The problem encountered in the real-world testing of the design is presented, analyzed and solved.