The computation of the input impedance of a biconical antenna by means of a method of segmentation based on 3D finite elements

The analysis of structures with complex geometries leads to the use of three-dimensional numerical methods. Such devices can be unmanageable unless a segmentation technique is applied. In this work, a hybrid 3D finite-element-mode matching method, based on the generalized admittance matrix (GAM) is applied to the computation of the input impedance of a biconical antenna fed by a cylindrical cavity loaded with resonant slots and matched by a coupling network composed of three multi-ridge circular irises and sections of circular waveguides. The structure is segmented into regions which are analysed separately and, by means of linking the partial matrices calculated, the generalized scattering matrix (GSM) is obtained. In order to validate the method, numerical results and measurements are compared. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.