Abstract
The current trend in vehicles is to integrate a wide number of antennae and sensors operating at a variety of frequencies for sensing and communications. The integration of these antennae and sensors in the vehicle platform is complex because of the way in which the antenna radiation patterns interact with the vehicle structure and other antennae/sensors. Consequently, there is a need to study the radiation pattern of each antenna or, alternatively, the currents induced on the surface of the vehicle to optimize the integration of multiple antennae. The novel concept of differential imaging represents one method by which it is possible to obtain the surface current distribution without introducing any perturbing probe. The aim of this study was to develop and confirm the assumptions that underpin differential imaging by means of full-wave electromagnetic simulation, thereby providing additional verification of the concept. The simulation environment and parameters were selected to replicate the conditions in which real measurements were taken in previous studies. The simulations were performed using Ansys HFSS simulation software. The results confirm that the approximations are valid, and the differential currents are representative of the induced surface currents generated by a monopole positioned on the top of a vehicle.
Highlights
Current vehicle design relies on the placement of different sensors and antennae operating in frequency bands from 3 GHz up to millimetric waves for different purposes such as communications, sensing, and/or positioning
This study aimed to explore the approximations and assumptions that underpin differential imaging and currents by performing full-wave electromagnetic simulations to verify this novel concept
In [5], Ansys HFSS software was used to optimize a sensor, and the results indicated that the software represented a reliable means of electromagnetic simulation
Summary
Current vehicle design relies on the placement of different sensors and antennae operating in frequency bands from 3 GHz up to millimetric waves (mmWave) for different purposes such as communications, sensing, and/or positioning. The integration of sensors and antennae within the same vehicular platform is a complex task because the radiation pattern of these elements is influenced by the platform structure, other sensors and antenna installed, and how the induced surface current is distributed across the structure of the vehicle. There are two methods to achieve these objectives: Via a full-wave electromagnetic simulation or via experimental methods. In this context, experimental methods rely on complex measurement tests in which non-invasive techniques that minimize the impact on the results during the measurement process with the test probes are desired. Electromagnetic simulation methods combine modeling and characterization with high-performance computational and timeconsuming processing; the resulting error depends on the simulation algorithm and the accuracy of the electromagnetic model and its characterization
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