Experimental set-up for antenna characterization in waterpipes

Wireless Sensor Networks have been recently proposed for applications in a large variety of systems. Among all, the possibility to insert a terminal node inside a dissipative liquid medium has attracted attention by few authors. For this reason, the paper presents the design and construction of a test bench for the experimental characterization of antennas inside liquids. The design has involved the classification of a large variety of pipelines, among which three different samples have been selected. The pipeline has consequently been configured in order to host fixed or mobile antennas, which can be wired towards the external part of the conduit, to facilitate their connection to a network analyzer. The speed and pressure of the liquid, as well as the speed of the antenna, can be controlled remotely. Finally, in case of metallic pipelines, a procedure has been introduced to test the attenuation along the longitudinal direction of the conduit.