RF Sensor Performance in Electrically Large, Complex Environments

Modern aircraft include numerous RF systems and associated antennas of diverse types. The designed performance of antennas is typically degraded by their installation on the airframe. Also, the presence of many RF systems in a small region creates enormous opportunity for undesired interference via antenna-to-antenna coupling. These conditions present serious challenges for engineers tasked with integrating antennas onto platforms. We propose to develop a tool that implements ray tracing on electrically large, high-fidelity airframe CAD models to predict installed antenna performance: antenna patterns, antenna-to-antenna coupling, spatial field distributions, angle-of-arrival, and other direct or diagnostic metrics. In Phase I, we developed and validated a baseline predictor while researching advanced modeling enhancements. In Phase II, we will engineer this into a robust capability, implement various modeling and ease-of-use enhancements, and couple it to a graphical user interface (GUI) emphasizing 3-D visualization to aid in scenario configuration, multi-system management, and result interpretation. A CAD pre-processor tool will also be developed to assist the user in importing, creating, editing, and repairing platform models. The tool suite will offer advantages over existing asymptotic solvers through more accurate near field interactions, creeping wave algorithms for realistic geometries, and powerful diagnostic features.