Antennas in Complex Environments

Antennas in Complex Environments

Antennas operating in complex environments, such as within plasmas or near dielectric materials present unique design challenges. High-power RF antennas can heat plasmas to millions of degrees, and dielectric materials can affect the near- and far-field patterns. Running simulations with VSimEM which is capable of full, self-consistent physics in the presence of plasmas and dielectrics allows engineers to determine the optimal antenna design for operation in complex environments.

VSim multiphysics Simulations on hand

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Antenna Design Examples

VSimEM can compute the near- and far-field radiation patterns from antennas in complex environments, but it can also model the plasma behavior (collisions, secondary emission, etc.) in the presence of antenna-generated fields.

EM field simulation using VSIMEM

Antenna on Predator Drone

This problem illustrates how to obtain the far-field radiation patterns of a current source antenna mounted on a Predator Drone.

Electric field near-field pattern

2.4 GHz Yagi Uda Antenna

This example illustrates how to obtain the far field radiation pattern of a Yagi-Uda array.

Antenna Array The near and far electric fields in the x-direction at the end of the simulation

Antenna Array 2D

This set of 2-D VSimEM simulations shows how to obtain the far fields, S11 parameter, gain, and phase shift of a one-element antenna as well as the far fields, gain, S parameters, and phase shift of a multiple-element antenna array with one excited element

Antenna on Human Hand with Dielectric

Antenna on Human Hand with Dielectric

This problem calculates the far-field radiation pattern of a small wifi antenna. The fields interact with the human hand for which the bone structure was approximated by long thin cylinders.

Loop Antenna from a Coaxial Cable

Loop Antenna from a Coaxial Cable

This example illustrates how to use the coaxial cable Field Boundary Condition and Constructive Solid Geometry to create a coaxial loop antenna.

Dipole Antenna

Dipole Antenna

Excite the antenna and watch the dipole electromagnetic radiation emanate from the antenna.

Dipole Above Conducting Plane

Dipole Above Conducting Plane

This problem illustrates how to obtain far fields within VSim by simulating an infinitesimally short dipole mounted a variable height above a conducting plane.

Other Antenna Examples

With VSimEM, plasma is modeled by particles or linear response functions, and dielectrics are modeled to second-order accuracy.

dish Antenna radiation pattern

Dish Antenna

The Dish Antenna simulation illustrates how to get the radiation pattern from a source in the presence of a complex shape.

half Wave Dipole Antenna far field radiation pattern

Half-Wave Dipole in Free Space

This problem illustrates how to obtain far field radiation patterns from VSim simulation data. The simulation itself consists of a half-wavelength long current source in free space.

far field radiation pattern of a sectoral horn antenna.

Horn Antenna

This example illustrates how to obtain the far field radiation pattern of a sectoral horn antenna.

patch Antenna Far Field

Patch Antenna Far Field

This problem takes the same patch antenna from the Patch Antenna example and modifies it to calculate the far-field radiation pattern.

Far field pattern 30 m away from the antenna

Phased Array Antenna

This VSimEM example illustrates how to setup a phased array simulation and analyze the far field results

dipole radiation

Dipole Radiation

The dipole moment oscillates with a given frequency which then results in electromagnetic radiation being emitted at the same frequency.

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