This paper presents a miniaturized patch antenna sensor for structural crack sensing, and the patch antenna sensor can be interrogated wirelessly. The proposed patch antenna sensor can detect the expansion of structural crack through relative movement between antenna components, and the relationships between the antenna resonant frequency and the crack width were studied. By using Rogers RO3010 laminate with high dielectric constant as the dielectric substrate of the antenna, the size of the proposed antenna sensor is significantly reduced, and higher sensing sensitivity is achieved. Furthermore, the wireless interrogation methods of the patch antenna sensor were also studied. The resonant frequency of the patch antenna sensor was wirelessly interrogated using linearly polarized wide-band antennas. Compared with the previous patch antenna sensor, the overall area of the proposed antenna sensor has been reduced to 33.4%, and the miniaturized patch antenna sensor shows a sensing sensitivity of 116.1 MHz/mm, which is 2.6 times higher than the previous patch antenna sensor. A series of simulations and experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed patch antenna sensor for structural crack sensing and the effectiveness of wireless interrogation methods.
YuYRashidiMSamaliB, et al. Crack detection of concrete structures using deep convolutional neural networks optimized by enhanced chicken swarm algorithm. Struct Health Monit2022; 21(5): 2244–2263.
9.
KongSFanJLiuY, et al. Automated crack assessment and quantitative growth monitoring. Comput-Aided Civ Infrastruct Eng2021; 36(5): 656–674.
10.
BhuiyanMBaoJPoddarB, et al. Toward identifying crack-length-related resonances in acoustic emission waveforms for structural health monitoring applications. Struct Health Monit2018; 17(3): 577–585.
11.
WangJGuoJ. Damage investigation of ultra high performance concrete under direct tensile test using acoustic emission techniques. Cem Concr Compos2018; 88: 17–28.
12.
ZhangJTianGMarindraA, et al. A review of passive RFID tag antenna-based sensors and systems for structural health monitoring applications. Sensors2017; 17: 265.
13.
XuYDongLWangH, et al. A review of passive self-sensing tag. Sens Rev2017; 37(3): 338–345.
14.
XuXHuangH. Battery-less wireless interrogation of microstrip patch antenna for strain sensing. Smart Mater Struct2012; 21: 125007.
15.
YaoJTjuatjaSHuangH. Real-time vibratory strain sensing using passive wireless antenna sensor. IEEE Sens J2015; 15(8): 4338–4345.
16.
HuangH. Flexible wireless antenna sensor: a review. IEEE Sens J2013; 13: 3865–3872.
17.
YiZXueSXieL, et al. A passive wireless acceleration sensing system based on patch antenna and FMCW radar. IEEE Internet Things J2023; 10(12): 10662–10674.
18.
XieLWuTYiZ, et al. Passive accelerometer using unstressed patch antenna interrogated by FMCW radar. IEEE Sens J2023; 23(115): 16672–16682.
19.
GirbauDRamosALazaroA, et al. Passive wireless temperature sensor based on time-coded UWB chipless RFID tags. IEEE Trans Microwave Theory Tech2012; 60(11): 3623–3632.
20.
TataUHuangHCarterR, et al. Exploiting a patch antenna for strain measurements. Meas Sci Technol2009; 20: 015201.
21.
MohammadIHuangH. An antenna sensor for crack detection and monitoring. Adv Struct Eng2011; 14(1): 47–53.
22.
YiXChoCCooperJ, et al. Passive wireless antenna sensor for strain and crack sensing-electromagnetic modeling, simulation, and testing. Smart Mater Struct2013; 22: 085009.
23.
YiXWuTWangY, et al. Sensitivity modeling of an RFID-based strain-sensing antenna with dielectric constant change. IEEE Sens J2015; 15(11): 6147–6155.
24.
YiXChoCWangY, et al. Battery-free slotted patch antenna sensor for wireless strain and crack monitoring. Smart Mater Struct2016; 18(6): 1217–1231.
25.
AhbeDBeerSZwickT, et al. Dual-band antennas for frequency-doubler-based wireless strain sensing. IEEE Antennas Wireless Propagation Lett2012; 11: 216–219.
26.
ThaiTAubertHPonsP, et al. Novel design of a highly sensitive RF strain transducer for passive and remote sensing in two dimensions. IEEE Trans Microwave Theory Tech2013; 61(3): 1385–1396.
27.
ChungKWangLLuoJ, et al. Comparative study on directional sensitivity of patch-antenna-based strain sensors. Int J RF Microwave Comput-Aided Eng2020; 30(11): e22398.
28.
WangLChungKZongW, et al. A highly sensitive microwave patch sensor for multidirectional strain sensing based on near orthogonal modes. IEEE Access2021; 09: 24669–24681.
29.
ZhouSDengFYuL, et al. A novel passive wireless sensor for concrete humidity monitoring. Sensors2016; 16(9): 1535.
30.
YiZXueSXieL, et al. Detection of setting time in cement hydration using patch antenna sensor. Struct Control Health Monit2022; 29(1): e2855.
31.
TchafaFHuangH. Microstrip patch antenna for simultaneous strain and temperature sensing. Smart Mater Struct2018; 27(6): 065019.
32.
SandersJYaoJHuangH. Microstrip patch antenna temperature sensor. IEEE Sens J2015; 15(9): 5312–5319.
33.
CaizzoneSDiGiampaoloE. Wireless passive RFID crack width sensor for structural health monitoring. IEEE Sens J2015; 15(12): 6767–6774.
34.
DeshmukhSXuXMohammadI, et al. Antenna sensor skin for fatigue crack detection and monitoring. Smart Struct Syst2011; 8(1): 93–105.
35.
XueSXuKXieL, et al. Crack sensor based on patch antenna fed by capacitive microstrip lines. Smart Mater Struct2019; 28(8): 085012.
36.
XueSYiZXieL, et al. A passive wireless crack sensor based on patch antenna with overlapping sub-patch. Sensors2019; 19: 4327.
37.
XueSYiZXieL, et al. A displacement sensor based on a normal mode helical antenna. Sensors2019; 19(17): 3767.
38.
XueSYiZXieL, et al. Double-frequency passive deformation sensor based on two-layer patch antenna. Smart Struct Syst2021; 27(6): 969–982.
39.
JiangKXieLXueS, et al. Capacitively-coupled dual ring antennas for bolt loosening detection. Measurement2022; 200: 111605.
40.
WanCZhengZXueS, et al. An angle sensor based on a sector ring patch antenna for bolt loosening detection. Smart Mater Struct2022; 31(4): 045009.
41.
LiXXueSXieL, et al. An off-center fed patch antenna with overlapping sub-patch for simultaneous crack and temperature sensing. Smart Mater Struct2022; 31(9): 095036.
42.
LiXXueSXieL, et al. Simultaneous crack and temperature sensing with passive patch antenna. Struct Health Monit. Epub ahead print 8July2023. DOI: 10.1177/14759217231184115.
43.
BalanisCA. Antenna theory analysis and design. 3rd ed.Hoboken: Wiley-Interscience, 2005.
