Design and Performance Analysis of a Hilbert Fractal Antenna for Corona Discharge Detection

Fractal antennas have attracted considerable attention due to their compact geometry and favorable electromagnetic characteristics, particularly in broadband and multiband applications. In this paper, a fourth-order Hilbert fractal antenna is designed and analyzed for radio frequency signal reception in the 200-300 MHz band. The design is motivated by the spectral characteristics of electromagnetic radiation generated during corona discharge, whose primary energy is concentrated within this frequency range. The proposed antenna is optimized in terms of return loss and bandwidth to ensure effective signal reception. Simulation results demonstrate that the antenna exhibits satisfactory impedance matching and achieves stable performance within the target frequency band. Based on the optimized design, a prototype is implemented and evaluated through laboratory experiments. Experimental results indicate that the proposed antenna can effectively capture radio frequency signals associated with corona discharge, demonstrating reliable non-contact detection capability. The study provides a feasible antenna design approach for corona discharge monitoring and offers potential applications in avionics system health management and electromagnetic sensing.