Naval Industry

Surface currents on naval vessel
UTD rays for radar frequency analysis
Near-field iso-surface for radhaz analysis

Problem Description

Ships require a very broad range of antennas. This ranges from simple HF antennas through to complex radar and EW antennas. Due to their critical functions the performance of these antennas need to be optimised. The limited space available on the upper deck leads to challenges for optimal antenna placement.

Typical issues of concern are:

• Radiation pattern analysis of communication antennas (HF, V/UHF)
  
• Pattern distortion of higher frequency antennas (IFF, Inmarsat, Satcom, Radar, Electronic Warfare) due to shielding by adjacent structures
  
• Antenna coupling or interference
  
• Near-fields from radiation hazard (RADHAZ, personnel, fuel, explosives) point of view.
  

FEKO Solution

Simulations can generally be divided into the following classes.

• Small (e.g. Communication antenna in free space)
• • Solved using MoM (size, memory)
    
• Medium (e.g. HF communication antenna on platform)
• • Solved using MoM (size, memory), might require parallel processing.
    
• Large (e.g. UHF communication antenna on platform or electrically large antenna e.g. array antenna for radar)
• • MLFMM
    
• Huge (e.g. radar frequencies on platform)
• • MoM/UTD where platform can be represented by flat polygonal plates.
  • MoM/PO in special cases where the flat polygonal plate assumption cannot be made.