Xueying Zhang

Higher-Order Petrov-Galerkin Methods for Analysis of Antennas

A Thesis Presented for the Master of Science in Computational Engineering Degree, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Xueying Zhang, October 2013

Abstract:
A temporally and spatially high-order accurate Petrov-Galerkin finite-element method is applied to the analysis of several antenna configurations. The method obtains numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations in the time domain using implicit time stepping and introduces energy into the domain using a Gaussian pulse to allow frequency-domain parameters to be computed over a range of frequencies with a single time-dependent solution. Verification cases for a monopole antenna and a microstrip patch antenna are used to examine the accuracy of the algorithm. Effects of varying antenna parameters on subsequent performance metrics are discussed based on the results from the simulations. Post-processing procedures are developed to obtain scattering parameters, input impedance and radiation patterns. For verification, the antenna characteristics obtained with the present methodology are compared with the results from two commercial codes. Mesh and time-step refinement studies are also conducted to assess the level of discretization errors in the solutions.

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