Study of the Printed Dipole Antenna with a Parallel Metal Plate

Zhou Yang, Huang Jingjian, Wu Weiwei, and Yuan Naichang

Department of Electronic Science and Engineering
National University of Defense Technology
Changsha, Hunan, Peoples Republic of China
zhouyangantelope@163.com

AbstractThis paper presents a printed dipole antenna with a

parallel metal plate, exploring the impact of the distance and
relative position between the metal plate and the printed dipole TABLE I. DIMENSIONS OF THE PRINTED DIPOLE ANTENNA
antenna. The characteristics of the antenna such as reflection
L_bichang 70mm L_b 35mm
coefficient S11, radiation patterns, and realized gain are given.
There are many differences between the printed dipole W_bikuan 10mm W_b 1.6mm
antenna with a parallel metal plate and without a metal plate. L_a 58mm W_s 2mm
Our paper also presents these differences. W_a 1.6mm
Keywords- printed dipole antenna, parallel metal plate,
L_ bichang
distance, relative position
W_ bikuan

I. INTRODUCTION
Printed dipole antenna[1], [2] with integrated balun [3] W_s L_b

has the advantages of small size, light weight, thin profile,

masses manufacturing, easy integration to be an array, and L_a
etc. It is widely used in the field of wireless communication
and radar. Printed dipole antenna is usually perpendicular to W_b
a metal plate [4], or extended from a ground plane [5]. But in
some cases the printed dipole antenna needs to be parallel to
the metal plate and over or under the metal plate. It can be W_a

used to devise the printed dipole antenna to satisfy the Port

following conditions as much as possible be coplanar (thin)
Figure 1. Geometry of the printed dipole antenna.
and surface conformal and especially be operable on
conductive support (e.g. metal-skin of aircraft). This article 2
describes the radiation characteristics of the printed dipole
0
antenna which parallel to the metal plate.
-2
-4
II. PRINTED DIPOLE ANTENNA -6
S11(dB)

The structure of the printed dipole antenna is shown in -8

Fig. 1. It consists of dipole arm and microstrip feed balun. A -10
dielectric permittivity of and thickness of t=0.5mm -12
is used. The dimensions of the printed dipole antenna are
-14
shown in Table 1.
Fig. 2 shows simulated S11 and realized gain of the -16
antenna from 1-3GHz. Fig. 3 shows the radiation patterns of -18
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
the printed dipole at 2.2GHz. From the figures we can see
Frequency(GHz)
that the printed dipole antenna has the approximate 40%
relative bandwidth and a stable gain of 2-3dB over the entire (a) S11
band. It also has a wide E-plane pattern, proximity
omnidirectional H-plane pattern.

____________________________________
978-1-47-8126-0 /1/$31.00 201 IEEE

374
 10 III. PRINTED DIPOLE ANTENNA WITH A PARALLEL
5
METAL PLATE
The printed dipole antenna with a parallel metal plate is
0
shown in Fig. 4. The printed dipole antenna is usually
RealizedGain(dB)

-5
perpendicular to a metal plate such as shown in Fig.
4(a).When we used the printed dipole antenna with a parallel
-10 metal plate such as shown in Fig. 4(b), we need study the
radiation characteristics of the printed dipole antenna. We
-15
construct the model of the single printed dipole antenna with
-20
a parallel metal plate in Fig. 4(c). The printed dipole
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 antennas arranges at x axis, so we discuss other two
Frequency (GHz)
directions y and z. The length of the metal plate L is 300mm
(b) Realized Gain and its width W is 130mm. From the Fig. 4(c), we can see
Figure 2. Simulated S11 and realized gain for the printed dipole antenna. the distance between the metal plate and the printed dipole is
along the z axis is h. The printed dipole antenna extend from
the metal plate is d.

.
(a)

(a) 3D pattern (b)

0
5 -30 30
0
-5
z y d
-10 -60 60
-15
x
-20 h
Realized Gain(dB)

-25

W
-30
-90 90
-30
-25 L
-20
-15
-10 -120 120 (c)
-5
0 Figure 4. The printed dipole antenna with a parallel metal plate.
5 -150 150
-180

(b) E-plane pattern Fig. 5 shows simulated S11 and realized gain of the
0 antenna with the parallel metal plate. Different distances h
5 -30 30 between the metal plate and the printed dipole are
0
investigated. We change h from -30mm to 30mm by step
-5
-60 60 10mm. As a result of changing h, the closer the metal plate
-10 plane, the value of S11 is greater and the gain is smaller. But
Realized Gain(dB)

-15 there is little difference between when the metal plate is put
-20 -90 90 in front of the dipole and when the metal plate is put in rear
-15 of the dipole.
-10

-5 -120 120

5 -150 150
180

(c) H-plane pattern

Figure 3. Radiation pattern of the printed dipole at 2.2 GHz.

375
 2 0 h=-30
330 30 h=-20
0 5 h=-10
0 h=0
-2 h=10
-5 300 60 h=20
-4 h=30
-10
-6

Realized Gain(dB)
-15
S11(dB)

-8
-20 270 90
-10 h=-30
h=-20 -15
-12 h=-10 -10
h=0
-14 -5 240 120
h=10
-16 h=20 0
h=30
-18 5
210 150
-20 180
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
(b) E-plane pattern
Frequency(GHz) 0 h=-30
10
(a) S11 with different h 330 30 h=-20
5 h=-10
10 h=0
0 h=10
300 60 h=20
-5
h=30
0 -10

Realized Gain(dB)
-15
-10 -20 270 90
RealizedGain(dB)

-15
-20 -10

h=-30 -5
240 120
-30 h= -20 0
h=-10 5
0 210 150
10
-40 h=10 180
h=20
h=30 (c) H-plane pattern
-50
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 Figure 6. Radiation pattern of the printed dipole with a parallel metal
Frequency(GHz) plate (with different h).
(b) Realized Gain with different h
Figure 5. Simulated S11 and realized gain of the printed dipole antenna
with a parallel metal plate. The radiation pattern of the printed dipole antenna with
the parallel metal plate is shown in Fig. 6.
As can be seen from Fig. 6, when h is changed, E-plane
patterns of the antenna maintain unchanged and the H-plane
patterns become smaller which is due to the impact of the
reflection of the metal plate. And the distance to the metal
plate is smaller, the gain becomes smaller.
Now, different position between the metal plate and the
printed dipole are investigated. We changed from -30mm to
30mm by step 10mm. Fig. 7 shows simulated S11 and
realized gain of the antenna with the parallel metal plate.
When h=10 and changing the relative position of the
metal plate and the printed dipole, the S11 of the antenna
will be increased. When d=-30, the metal plate far away
from the dipole, E-plane pattern is essentially the same.
(a) 3D pattern of the printed dipole with a parallel metal plate (d=0, Because of the metal plate reflection H-plane pattern
h=10mm, f=2.2GHz) essentially radiates half-space, increases gain than the
original dipole about 2-3 dB . With the position of the metal
plate getting closer, the gain is smaller, the antenna E-plane
pattern substantially unchanged, H-plane pattern due to the
presence of the reflecting surface will be off-axis at an angle.
The closer between the antenna and reflecting metal plate,
the greater the angle of off-axis direction will be.

376
 2

-2

-4

-6
S11(dB)

d=-30
-8 d=-20
d=-10
-10 d=0
d= 10
-12 d=20
d= 30
-14

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5

Frequency(GHz)

(a)S11 with different d (a)

10

-10
RealizedGain(dB)

-20
d=-30
d=-20
-30
d=-10
d=0
-40 d=10
d=20
d=30
-50
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
Frequency (GHz) (b)
(b) Realized Gain with different d
Figure 7. Simulated S11 and realized gain of the printed dipole antenna
with a parallel metal plate.

0
d=-30
5 330 30 d=-20
d=-10
0 d=0
d=10
-5 300 60 d=20
d=30
-10
Realized Gain(dB)

-15
-20 270 90
-15
-10
-5 240 120
0
5
210 150 (c)
180
(a) E-plane pattern
0 d=-30
10 330 30 d=-20
d=-10
5
d=0
0 d=10
300 60 d=20
-5
d=30
-10
Realized Gain(dB)

-15
-20 270 90
-15
-10
-5
240 120
0
(d)
5
10 210 150
180
(b) H-plane pattern
Figure 8. Radiation patterns of the printed dipole with a parallel metal
plate (with different d).

377
 10
0 E-plane In order to study the mutual coupling between the
330 30 H-plane
0 multiple dipole antennas, we have established a model
-10 shown in Fig. 9(a) and Fig. 9(b). One is a single dipole
300 60
-20 parallel to the metal plane, the other one is three adjacent
dipole antenna parallel to the plane of the same metal. The
Realized Gain(dB)

-30
-40
270 90 results obtained by simulation shown in Fig. 9(c), (d), (e), (f).
-40
-30
IV. CONCLUSION
-20
-10
240 120
A printed dipole antenna with a parallel metal plate has
0 been presented. This article shows the differences between
210 150
10
180
the printed dipole antenna with a parallel metal plate and
(e) without a metal plate. With the position or distance of the
0 E-plane
metal plate getting closer, the S11 becomes greater, the
5 330 30 H-plane
realized gain is smaller, and the printed dipole antenna
0
-5 pattern becomes more different than its original pattern.
-10 300 60
-15
REFERENCES
Realized Gain(dB)

-20
-25
-30 270 90
-25 [1] B. Edward and D. Rees, "A broadband printed dipole with integrated
-20
balun," Microwave Journal, 1987, pp. 339-344.
-15
-10 240 120 [2] K. Tilley, X. D. Wu and K. Chang, Coplanar waveguide fed
-5
coplanar strip dipole antenna, Electronics Letters, vol. 30, pp 176-
0
5 210 150
177, Feb. 1994.
180 [3] G. Y. Chen and J. S. Sun, A printed dipole antenna with microstrip
(f) tapered balun, Microwave Opt Technology Letters, vol. 40, no. 4, pp.
344-346, 2004.
Figure 9. Simulated of the printed dipole and antenna and three dipole
antennas with a parallel metal plate (a) the printed dipole antenna with a [4] J. R. Bayard, M. E. Cooley, and D. H. Schaubert, Analysis of
parallel metal plate (d=0, h=30mm, f=2.2GHz) (b) three printed dipole infinite arrays of printed dipoles on dielectric sheets perpendicular to
a ground plane, IEEE Trans., Antennas and Propagation, vol. 39, iss.
antennas with a parallel metal plate (c) 3D pattern of one printed dipole (d)
12, pp. 1722-1732, 1991
3D pattern of three printed dipoles (e) Radiation patterns of one printed
dipole (f) Radiation patterns of three printed dipoles. [5] G. S. Hilton, C. J. Railton, G. J. Ball, A. L. Hume, and M. Dean,
Finite-difference time-domain analysis of a printed dipole antenna,
in 9th Int. IEEE Antennas and Propagation Conf. , vol. 1, 1995, pp.
7275.

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