A novel design of triangular-shaped hexagonal fractal antenna for satellite communication

The fractal antenna is a diverse kind of antenna that utilizes a fractal as well as a self-similar design to increase the effective length to enhance the material perimeter. This could obtain or transfer electromagnetic (EM) radiation in the specified full surface arena or the volume. In comparison to traditional possible antennas, modern satellite communication applications require antennas with wider bandwidths and smaller dimensions. It has sparked antenna research in a variety of directions. One of them is the use of the fractal form of the antennas in the satellite communication field due to various attractive features such as small size and wide bandwidth, etc. In this paper, a novel design of a triangular patch hexagonal multiband fractal antenna optimized for satellite communication applications has been proposed. This proposed fractal antenna was designed with flame retardant (FR4) substrates of a relative permittivity to 4.3 and comprises dimensions 28×28×1.6 mm3. The proposed antenna is fed with a coaxial probe feeding method having an outer dielectric radius (Ro) and inner conductor radius (Ri) is 0.56 mm and 0.1 mm, respectively. The designed antenna operates in the upper C band and X band (8 to 12 GHz). This design undergoes three iterations and in the third iteration, it radiates at multiple frequencies like 7.17 GHz, 8.37 GHz, 10.82 GHz, and 11.30 GHz, respectively. The proposed antenna design is simulated by utilizing the computer simulation technology (CST) Microwave Studio 2020. The results are analyzed and validated in terms of return losses, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), radiation patterns, gains, as well as directivity. The simulation outcome validates that the proposed triangular-shaped hexagonal fractal antenna could be effectively utilized for satellite communication applications. The measured return loss values on 7.17 GHz, 8.37 GHz, 10.82 GHz, and 11.30 GHz frequencies are -30dB, -22dB, -28dB, and -35dB, respectively. Thereby, this proposed fractal antenna is the most suitable option for satellite communication applications due to its compact size as well as its lightweight and optimal return loss values.