Microstrip patch antenna as a paper moisture sensor

This paper reports the use of non destructive, microstrip patch antenna as paper moisture sensor. Microstrip patch antenna is designed to resonate at 2.4GHz. This design is simulated and fabricated on copper clad type FR4 (εr= 4.4) having thickness of 1.6mm. Patch dimension are 27mm × 30mm and substrate dimension is 63mm × 60mm. The microstrip transmission line is used to provide excitation for the antenna. This design for microstrip patch antenna after fabrication showed a resonance at 2.38 GHz on vector network analyzer at S11=-19.38dB with impedance =49Ω. The variations in frequency in relation with water content in the paper is measured using Vector Network Analyzer by placing wet paper on the patch antenna. Moisture content in the paper was found out by taking wet weight and dry weight of the paper. The model of the wet paper is recommended primarily on the basis of water-dry paper reactions, along with the thickness and surface roughness explaining tendencies of the sensitivity graphs. Paper samples of 13 different types, with different GSM values and thicknesses, havingdimensions same as that of the substrate were tested. From the results it is observed that as the moisture content in the paper increases the frequency decreases. The change in frequency with respect to the moisture content is seen to have quadratic relation with moisture. The variations in the frequency are fitted in the form of equations. The calculated %Mwet indicates an error around ±0-4% in the calculated value as compared to the actual value. The response of sensor is almost linear with respect to the references but the coefficients depend non-linearly with the paper dimension.