Simulation Analysis of a PLPDA mounted on a UAV using Hybrid Solver Methods

Evaluating the performance of an antenna in the presence of electrically large structures is computationally challenging. In this context, three solver techniques – full-wave Finite Integration Technique (FIT), Unidirectional Advanced Method (UAM) and Hybrid Bidirectional Solver (HBS) are compared. The above solver techniques available in Computer Simulation Technology Microwave Studio (CST-MWS) are used to simulate a Printed Log-Periodic Dipole Antenna (PLPDA) enclosed in a fixture with foam mounted on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The electromagnetic performance of all three solver methods is compared, thereby validating the accuracy, with realized gain differences of less than 0.2 dB, HPBW differences of less than 1°, and front-to-back ratio differences of less than 2-3 dB at all frequencies. The full-wave FIT solver takes 14 hrs at 6 GHz, but the UAM and HBS only take 1.2 and 1.6 hrs, respectively. In contrast to the HBS, the UAM offers the most computationally efficient solution for this class of problems by incorporating selective field recalculations that take into consideration the presence of the UAV body.