Coupling Analysis of Antennas on Electrically Large Structures using Equivalent Source Method

Raja Devata

With growing communications, nowadays there are increasingly sophisticated antenna systems with associated electronics aboard aircrafts. Placement of antennas for various systems is a challenge due to the coupling between the antennas and the resulting co-site interference. Advances in electromagnetic (EM) simulations have significantly improved the design process to assess coupling between various antennas resulting in reduced testing time and costs. While it is ideal to use the actual simulation models of antennas during the design process, system designers normally do not have access to the simulation models (or CAD models) of the antennas for various reasons, such as antenna vendor confidentiality etc. It then becomes essential that actual antenna simulation models to be replaced with accurate representation using equivalent sources, such as near fields, far fields etc.

In this tutorial, we explained the use of equivalent source approach as well as the hybrid full wave and asymptotic solver techniques for antenna coupling studies on the aircraft. The antenna designer can successfully replace the real antennas with equivalent source antennas in relatively short amount of time during the design phase. Using the equivalent source models in lieu of conventional antennas and hybridized solvers give us reasonably accurate results when compared to conventional approach of using real antennas with full wave solvers.

Antenna coupling, and co-site interference calculations are demonstrated using equivalent antenna with near field sources representation installed on electrically large platform such as a commercial airplane in this short video.