FEKO Student Competition Results for 2009

This year we again received many high quality entries. The winner has been judged on the extent to which the wide range of FEKO features were appropriately applied for maximum benefit, as well as on insight shown into the EM problem at hand. The judging panel decided to also make honourable mention of a number of other entries, in recognition of hard work and high standards.

Winner

This year’s winner is Simone Ledda, with an entry entitled “Microwave Sensor with Polarization Diversity for Detection of Dielectric Objects”, from the Electronic and Telecommunications Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Florence, Italy. A sensor system, operating between 18 and 24 GHz was designed and analysed. The purpose of the system is to detect dielectric objects in close proximity to the human body. The CAD creation and manipulation features of FEKO were extensively used to create a realistic human body model from scratch. Various solver features were subsequently employed, including the method of moments (MoM), multi-level fast multipole method (MLFMM), layered media MoM, radiation pattern point sources and ideal receiving antennas.

Current distribution under sensor antenna illumination, by Simone Ledda.	Cross-polarised backscattering without and with a dielectric object present, by Simone Ledda.

Honourable mention

We are pleased to make honourable mention of the following entries:

• Markus Lehner, “Modelling and Numeric Simulation of the HIRF EMC-Testplant in Manching”, Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Ravensburg and EADS Military Air Systems (training company), Germany.
• Bennie Jacobs, “Modelling Manufacturing Tolerances in 1-18 GHz Double-Ridged Horn Antennas”, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
• Gideon Wiid, “Radio Frequency Interference and Lightning Protection of the SA Square Kilometre Array Demonstrator, MeerKAT”, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Plane wave excitation from different directions, modelling indirect lightning strikes, by Gideon Wiid.