Reverberation Chamber Modeling Using Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method

Abstract

Since the last few years, the unprecedented growth of communication systems involving the propagation of electromagnetic waves is particularly due to developments in mobile phone technology. The reverberation chamber is a reliable bench-test, enabling the study of the effects of electromagnetic waves on a specific electronic appliance. However, the operating of a reverberation chamber being rather complicated, development of numerical models are of utmost importance to determine the crucial parameters to be considered.This thesis consists in the modelling and the simulation of the operating principles of a reverberation chamber by means of the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method. After a brief study based on field and power measurements performed in a reverberation chamber, the second chapter deals with the different problems encountered during the modelling. The consideration of losses being a very important factor in the operating of the chamber, two methods of implementation of these losses are set out in this chapter. Chapter~3 consists in the analysis of the influence of the stirrer on the first eigenmodes of the chamber; the latter modes can undergo a frequency shift of several MHz. Chapter~4 shows a comparison of results issued from high frequency simulations and theoretical statistical results. The problem of an object placed in the chamber, resulting in a field disturbance is also tackled. Finally, in the fifth chapter, a comparison of statistical results for stirrers having different shapes is set out.