Integration of Multiconductor Cable Codes with Three Dimensional Time Domain Finite Difference Electromagnetic Solvers

Modeling of complex electromagnetic interactions often requires the adaptation and merging of several types of analysis tools. This is often a consequence of the inefficiency or limitation of validity in applying a single technique to the problem of interest. A general configuration requiring such an adaptation or merging is one comprising complex multi-conductor cable harnesses in regions containing other scattering objects. Such objects can significantly impact the field topology driving the harness. A time domain finite difference solver of Maxwell’s equations (3D solver) is an effective tool for computing the electromagnetic fields. However, limited computer resources often prohibit the resolving of the harness within the finite difference code let alone difficulties in techniques of incorporating complex circuit terminations on individual harness conductors. The merging of a finite difference code with a multi-conductor cable harness code would be an effective tool for calculating responses of this type of configuration. The problem of merging is complicated by the criteria that the multi-conductor cable harness need not be limited in cross-sectional dimensions relative to the respective 3D solver mesh. The harness diameter may be significantly less than the mesh size or expand over many three-dimensional cells making the harness at least partially resolvable (terminations excluded) by the 3D solver. The objective of the effort for this task was to derive an easily implemented, strongly coupled, self-consistent technique of merging a harness code with a 3D solver resulting in a combined hybrid tool. The excitation of the harness was consistent with transmission line assumptions and the conductors within the harness possessed a variety of terminations. The technique was applied to a number of configurations and proven accurate.

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See papers presented at International Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity, September 2001, Seattle, WA, USA, Session: Facilities Lightning Protection II

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