Assessment of RF EMF Exposure to Car Driver from Monopole Array Antennas in V2V Communications Considering Thermal Characteristics

Abstract

Overview

Vehicles are rapidly evolving into objects of intelligent interconnection. Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications enable the interconnection between vehicles, while also leading to new electromagnetic exposure scenarios.

Study Design

This paper integrates a monopole array antenna into a shark-fin antenna on the car roof for V2V communications and evaluates the specific absorption rate (SAR) and temperature rise of a human body in a smart mobility communication scenario operating at 5.9 GHz.

• The V2V antenna is modeled and placed on a 3D vehicle model using COMSOL Multiphysics (v.6.2) to numerically estimate the SAR in the head and body regions of the human body model (adult male) inside the vehicle.

Findings

• Both the localized and whole-body 30 min average SAR are lower than the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) occupational restrictions for electromagnetic field exposure from 100 kHz to 6 GHz.
• In the worst-case scenario, head SAR equals 0.981 W/kg (9.81% of the ICNIRP limit of 10 W/kg).
• Whole-body average SAR is 0.008728 W/kg (2.18% of the ICNIRP limit of 0.4 W/kg).
• The 30 min average human core temperature rise is 0.055°C (5.5% of the ICNIRP limit).

Conclusion

This indicates that, in typical automotive scenarios, the electromagnetic exposure from a monopole array antenna for V2V communications does not pose a threat to the human body according to existing thermal-based safety standards.

🚨 It is important to note that current ICNIRP guidelines only address thermal effects, and evidence links electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure to additional health risks not covered by these standards. This study provides knowledge related to emerging exposure scenarios in intelligent mobility communication, helpful for evaluating possible health impacts and designing public health management policies.