Circular microstrip patch antenna strain sensor for wireless structural health monitoring

In this paper the feasibility of using a circular microstrip patch antenna to detect strain has been investigated. The theoretical model shows a linear relationship between strain and the shift in the resonant frequency of the antenna. A circular patch antenna has been designed and fabricated to work at 1.5GHz. Both Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and experimental tests have been undertaken to corroborate the relationship between strain and frequency shift. The ultimate intention of this work is to configure antennas or resonators for the detection of relatively small damage zones in structures and to do so wirelessly.