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Abstract This paper addresses the microwave energy
harvesting for powering wireless sensors on board of
geostationary satellites. The electromagnetic environment
existing on such satellites is first investigated and experimental
results in K-band demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of
such energy harvesting in satellite applications for powering
autonomous wireless sensors. Experimental results demonstrates
that a DC voltage up to 4.5 V and a DC power up to 2.25 mW can
be harvested on board of geostationary satellites by using a
simple rectenna topology.
Index Terms Energy harvesting, rectennas, satellite
applications, microwave circuits, autonomous wireless sensors

I. INTRODUCTION
ue to inherent leakage of microwave and/or millimeter-
wave antennas a lot of electromagnetic (EM) power is
available on the external body of broadcasting satellite. Thus,
some areas of the satellite external surface are illuminated by a
strong electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic energy
available on the satellite external surface has been investigated
by Thales Alenia Space. In some areas on geostationary
satellites the electric field can reach the following maximum
levels: 127 V/m in K-band, 106 V/m in Ku-band, 49.5 V/m in
X-band or 40 V/m in C-band. This electromagnetic energy at
high frequencies, unusual for terrestrial applications, is
available as long as the data links are functional and can be
harvested for powering autonomous wireless sensors used to
monitor the satellite health.
Millimeter-wave rectennas (RECTifier antENNAs) [1] have
been proposed in the past exclusively for microwave wireless
transfer [1]-[3]. For the first time, this paper deals with
rectennas design for millimeter-wave energy harvesting in
order to power autonomous wireless sensors. The choice of
autonomous (self-powered) wireless sensors saves the cost of
deploying long wires in harsh environment.
As proof-of-concept rectennas prototypes operating in K-
band were designed, fabricated and characterized.


Alexandru Takacs and Herv. Aubert are with CNRS LAAS and
University of Toulouse, France. (e-mail: atakacs@laas.fr, haubert@laas.fr).
Laurent Despoisse is with Thales Alenia Space, Cannes, France. (e-mail:
email: laurent.despoisse@thalesaleniaspace.com)
Stphane. Fredon is with CNES - French Space Agency, Toulouse, France
(e-mail: stephane.fredon@cnes.fr).
II. RECTENNA DESIGN
RF and microwave harvester modules were developed for
decades for two main applications: energy harvesting and
wireless power transfer. Various RF and microwave harvester
modules were reported in the literature for GSM [4], GPS [5],
C-band (ISM 2.45 GHz) [6], 5.8 GHz [7] and X-band [2],[8]
applications. The millimeter-wave spectrum was addressed
exclusively for wireless power transfer application [1]-[3]
because of the lack of powerful environmental sources for
terrestrial applications. Dual-band band [7] or broadband [9]
designs were also reported. The main challenge in
RF/microwave harvesters design and implementation is the
energy efficiency maximization. This goal becomes even more
challenging for multiband or wideband design as well as for
high-frequency applications.
In order to design an effective microwave/millimeter-wave
harvester the distribution of the electromagnetic field available
on the satellite external surface was first investigated. Satellite
antennas operating in C, X, Ku and K band radiate a power
between 50W and 100W. Fig. 1 and 2 show two typical
electromagnetic field distributions (E-field in V/m, peak
values) on panels located on the lateral side or on the Earth
side of a broadcasting geostationary satellite.















Fig. 1. E-field distribution (peak values) on lateral side of
satellite: frequency:21.4 GHz, radiated power: 85W.

Rectennas may be used for harvesting such available
electromagnetic energy in the microwave frequency band. The
proposed rectenna design is based on the topology shown in
Fig. 3. The antenna collects the surrounding electromagnetic
Design and implementation of a rectenna for
satellite application
A. Takacs, Member, IEEE, H. Aubert, Senior Member, IEEE, L. Despoisse, S. Fredon
D

Emax=16 V/m
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978-1-4673-5010-5/13/$31.00 2013 IEEE 183
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power density while the matching circuit allows matching
with the input of the Schottky diode (the rectifier).














Fig. 2. E-field distribution (peak values) on Earth side of
satellite: frecuency:17.7 GHz, radiated power: 70W.

Rectennas may be used for harvesting such available
electromagnetic energy in the microwave frequency band. The
proposed rectenna design is based on the topology shown in
Fig. 3. The antenna collects the surrounding electromagnetic
power density while the matching circuit allows matching
with the input of the Schottky diode (the rectifier).




Fig. 3. Rectenna topology

A design (D1) based on the topology of Fig. 3 using the
M/A Com MA4E 1317 Schottky diode [10] was implemented.
The selected GaAs flip chip Schottky diodes and the matching
circuit (a single stub was implemented) are key elements in
the design. Moreover, for providing a flexible design, a 50
test point was inserted between the matching circuit and the
antenna, as indicated in Fig. 4.





Fig. 4. Top view of the layout (without its antenna) for D1 design.

The rectenna was designed to power a temperature sensor
(load) with a typical resistance in the range of 9-10 k. This
impedance loading was integrated in the RC Low-Pass Filter
(LPF) in order to simplify the circuitry. The targeted operating
frequency was 17.7 GHz in order to use this rectenna on Earth
side of satellite. The most relevant parameters of MA4E 1317
diode were derived from available datasheet [10] (total
capacitance: 0.045 pF, series resistance: Rs=4 ) and by
extrapolating the I-V measured characteristic (derived ideality
factor: n1.2 and saturation current: Is0.1 pA). The
prototypes were fabricated on Rogers 6002 dielectric substrate
(relative permittivity: 2.94, loss tangent: 0.0012, thickness:
508 m). A simulation model (Fig. 5) based on electrical
circuit approach (harmonic balance/large signal S-parameter)
using ADS software was developed in order to design and
simulate the rectenna (single stub matching circuit and RC
LPF). A LPF with R=10 k and C=2pF was used for D1






Fig. 5 ADS model used for designing and simulating the rectenna
(D1 design).

The design of the layout of rectennas (main dimensions
given in Fig.5) was accommodated with the tolerances
required by a fabrication in a laboratory equipped for general-
purpose printed circuit boards. A solid silver-filled epoxy
system EPO-TEK H20E was used to solder the diodes by a
low temperature process at 110C.
III. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Fig. 6 shows two rectenna prototypes (without antennas)
mounted on a mechanical support and fitted with a K
connector (50 test point). For fast prototyping, testing and
versatility reasons a soldering-free technique was preferred.
As shown in Fig. 6 the connection between the coaxial K
connector and the printed board of the prototype is realized by
using a home-made mechanical fixing support.






Fig. 6. Photo of two rectenna prototypes with their mechanical
support (D1 design)
The electromagnetic environment surrounding rectannas
was recreated in laboratory. Thus the performances of these
prototypes were measured by adopting the two following
experimental configurations:
(a) configuration C1: a continuous millimeter-wave signal
generated from an Anritsu MG3694B generator was directly
injected at the input port of the prototypes shown in Fig. 6.
The resulting measured DC voltage at the input port of the
10k load impedance is displayed in Fig. 7. More than 1V can
be harvested in practice when injecting 15 dBm at 18.6GHz.
The power (P) of the antenna output (gain G) illuminated by
an electric field (E, effective value) at a given frequency (f)
can be estimated by:

=
4 120
2 2
G E
P
(1)

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E<5.75 V/m

Antenna Matching
circuit
Schottky
diode
Low-pass
filter
Load
Via holes
50 test point
MA4E 1317
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Thus the estimated power at the output of the receiving
antenna (input of the 50 test point) can reach the values
depicted in table I (f=17.7GHz and f=18.6 GHz). Two typical
gains are taken into account in table I: a high gain G=18.6 dBi
(e.g. horn antenna) and a moderate gain G=5 dBi (e.g. patch
antenna).












Fig. 7. Measured DC voltage at the input port of a 10k load in
case of configuration C1 (D1 design)

TABLE I. ESTIMATED POWER ON THE INPUT OF 50 TEST POINT.
E (V/m) G (dBi)
P (dBm)
17.7 GHz 18.6 GHz
127 18.6 18.5 18.1
107 18.6 17 16.6
48 18.6 10 9.6
34 18.6 8 7.6
27 18.6 5 4.5
15 18.6 0 -0.4
127 5 4.9 4.5
102 5 3 2.6
72 5 0 -0.4
Those experimental results show that by using D1 design a
voltage around 1V (power around 0.1 mW) can be harvested
on a 10k load (i.e. temperature sensor) when 15 dBm of
power is injected on the 50 test point. A frequency shift
from 17.7GHz to 18.6GHz was observed (basically due to the
mechanical fixation system). The D1 design is sensitive to the
fixation system and the size of the layout supporting the RC
filter can be minimized. In order to overcome those drawbacks
of D1 design a new design D2 was developed by replacing the
home made fixation system with a standard K end-launch
connector (as shown in Fig 8), by reducing the size of the pads
for the RC lumped components (minimizing thus the parasitic
radiation losses caused by the DC pads) and by improving the
matching circuit.




Fig. 8. Photo of the rectenna prototype with their mechanical
support (D2 design)














Fig. 9. Measured DC voltage at the input port of a 9.1k load in
case of configuration C1 (D2 design)

(b) configuration C2: a microwave signal (setup shown in
Fig. 11) is transmitted in free space from a horn antenna and
received by a patch antenna (home-made patch antenna with
G4 dBi) or a horn antenna (G18.6 dBi) loaded by the
prototypes presented in Fig. 6 (D1 design) or Fig. 9 (D2
design). The measurement results for D1 design (power
injected in the transmitting antenna: 22.5 dBm) show that: (i) a
voltage around 0.2 V can be harvested with a high gain
receiving antenna (horn antenna G18.6 dBi) positioned at
d=22.5cm from transmitting antenna (d45cm between the
feeding points) (ii) tens of mV can be harvested with a low
gain antenna (a home-made patch antenna with G4dBi)
positioned at 3 cm from transmitting antenna.








Fig. 10. Measurement setup (configuration C2) of rectenna
prototypes illuminated by a continuous microwave field

As demonstrated by the results depicted in Fig. 9 the D2
design performs better than D1 design. Thus D2 design was
tested also using the configuration C2. The obtained DC
voltage as function of the power injected in the transmitting
antenna is depicted in Fig. 11. A maximum level of 4.5V (DC
power around 2.25 mW) is obtained on the input port of the
9.1 k load for a power of 25 dBm injected in the transmitting
antenna. A computation using Friis formula gives a estimated
power P18.7 dBm on the output of the receiving antenna/the
input of the the 50 test point (f=17.7 GHz, G=18.6 dBi)
when the transmitting antenna is excited with P=25dBm. For
this computation a distance d=(d1+d2)/2=25cm was take into
account approximating thus the distance between the phase
center of two antennas. As demonstrated below the results of
Fig. 11 (configuration C2) are consistent with the results of
Fig. 9 (configuration C1). Thus we can conclude that using D2
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Receiver Antenna
(horn or
patch)
Emmiter Antenna
(horn)
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design and an antenna with 18.6 dBi of gain we can provide a
DC voltage of 4.5 V on a 9.1 k load (power around 2.25
mW) if the available electromagnetic field is E=107 V/m (rms
value) at f=17.7 GHz.












Fig. 11. Measured DC voltage at the input port of a 9.1k load in
case of configuration C2 (D2 design)
The obtained results can be viewed as a worst case scenario
and the performances can be improved by:
(i) combining circuital and electromagnetic simulations in
order to take into account the overall impact of the printed
circuit board on rectenna performances,
(ii) manufacturing the prototypes in a specialized industrial
unit,
(iii) replacing the M/A Com diode by a zero bias diode (an
improvement of the rectifier performances for low-level of
input power is expected),
(iv) eliminating the 50 test point and its mechanical fixing
support (useful for prototyping and testing but also adding
losses and mismatch).
Works are under way in order to improve the conversion
efficiency and more results will be available at the conference.

IV. CONCLUSION
An investigation concerning the electromagnetic
environment available on the external surface of a
broadcasting geostationary satellite has been performed. This
electromagnetic field can be harvested for powering
autonomous wireless sensors. In order to prove the feasibility
of RF energy harvesting a simple rectenna module using only
one Schottky diode has been designed, fabricated and
characterized. Experimental results in K-band demonstrated
that a DC voltage of 4.5 V can be harvested on a 9.1 k load
(power around 2.25 mW) using a high gain antenna (18.6 dBi)
from an electric field of 107 V/m at a frequency of 17.7 GHz.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by CNES (French Space Agency)
within the framework of R&T n 115052 contract. The authors
acknowledge Tonio Idda (former CNRS-LAAS) for his
valuable support during the early stage of the project and the
support of the Region Midi-Pyrenees trough the project MNT-
ERA.net MEMIS (MEMS based Millimeter wave Imaging
System). The simulation models and techniques of the
Schottky diodes integrated in our rectennas were developed in
the frame of MEMIS project.
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[3] Ren, Y.-J., Li, M.-Y., Chang, K., "35 GHz rectifying antenna for
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[4] http://www.powercastco.com/products/powerharvester-
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[5] Zhu, N.; Ziolkowski, R. W.; Xin, H.; Electrically Small GPS L1
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[8] L. W. Epp, A. R. Khan, H. K. Smith, and R. P. Smith, A
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60.pdf.


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