Analysis and design of MIMO microstrip antennas for smart grid applications

Abstract

In this work, an UWB and a Dual Band 2x2 element MIMO microstrip antennas are proposed for these applications. These antennas, printed on an FR-4 dielectric material, are fed by a microstrip line for the UWB and by a coplanar waveguide for the Dual Band structures. The structures radio electric properties including S-parameters, current distributions, radiation patterns, correlation coefficients and diversity gains were investigated using the CST electromagnetic simulator. Prototypes of the two final four-element MIMO structures have been fabricated and their S-parameters measured where an agreement is observed between simulated and measured results.