Window Mounted UHF Antenna System

In this Phase I effort Pharad will build on its extensive experience developing high performance conformal flexible antenna technologies to create a window mounted UHF antenna system for MRFT (Miniaturized RF Tag) applications in Rotary and Fixed Wing Aircraft. In Phase I we will investigate a variety of conformal antenna configurations utilizing different innovative approaches. The antenna assembly will be flexible and can be adhered to a variety of planar and non planar glass surfaces. We will evaluate the various UHF antenna configurations with the objective of creating the solution that gives the best performance. We will use full-wave electromagnetic simulation tools in this evaluation and include part of the airframe surrounding the window in the simulations. During Phase I we will also investigate suitable flexible materials and adhesives that will enable our UHF antenna to be conformal and fit-to-form and therefore easily attached to the aircraft window. Once the optimal antenna design has been finalized, we will fabricate a proof-of-concept prototype of the antenna and measure its RF performance. In our Phase I Option activity we will carry out experimental and theoretical studies to verify the safety of the proposed UHF window mounted antenna.