Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024

Kerlos Atia Abdalmalak

Antenna Technology (ATE)

LAB
Dipole design
based on Ansys HFSS

Estimated Time: 2 hours

Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS Date: 13/03/2024

Delivery: 20/03/2024

Kerlos Atia Abdalmalak

By
([email protected])
 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024

Table of Contents
1. LAB objectives: ................................................................................................................. 2
2. Access to HFSS: ................................................................................................................. 2
3. Previous requirements: .................................................................................................... 2
4. Design steps...................................................................................................................... 3
4.1. Draw the different structures and assign materials .............................................................. 3
4.2. Adjust excitations and boundary conditions ......................................................................... 4
4.3. Set analysis setups and frequency sweep ............................................................................. 5
4.4. Validate and simulate ............................................................................................................ 6
4.5. Results and post-processing .................................................................................................. 7
5. Delivery:............................................................................................................................ 8
6. Material: ........................................................................................................................... 9

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 1

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024

1. LAB objectives:
• Design and simulate a half-wavelength dipole antenna that you studied in the theoretical
classes
• Analyze its behavior from different points of view such as
o Reflection coefficient (S11)
o Antenna impedance (Z11)
o Gain and efficiency vs. frequency
o 3D Directivity (D) and gain (G)
o 2D radiation patterns (at Elevation and Azimuth planes)
o Fields inside the antenna (such as electric field, magnetic fields, or surface current)

2. Access to HFSS:
You can access the HFSS program (known also as “Ansys Electronics Desktop”) through two main
methods

• From anywhere using your university email through the virtual computer provided by UC3M
(the program is already installed, just select “Ansys2023” then at the desktop you will find
"Ansys Electronics Desktop")
https://aulavirtual.uc3m.es/uds/page/services
• Or download the student version from this link (follow the default options during all steps of
the installation)
https://www.ansys.com/academic/students/ansys-electronics-desktop-student

3. Previous requirements:
You need to be familiar with the HFSS program, we had the previous session to see the different steps
to simulate an object which can be summarized into these 5 steps as
1) Draw the different structures and assign materials
2) Adjust excitations and boundary conditions
3) Set analysis setups and frequency sweep
4) Validate and simulate
5) Results and post-processing: Investigate the different results and make possible post-
processing

We performed these tasks based on an example of a metallic rectangle waveguide operating at a

specific frequency with characterizing its behavior for fundamental and higher-order modes in terms
of reflection coefficient (S11), transmission coefficient (S21), cutoff frequency, and electric fields.

In the link below, you can watch the official program introduction video prepared by the Ansys team
with all the previous discussions, it is 40 minutes and divided into 5 short videos (the first 23 minutes
are extremely important). You can return to it anytime to be sure that you have the necessary
knowledge to work with the program.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLtt6-
ZgUFmMK20h31TLirmaXglxsrKBxA&cbrd=1

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 2

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024

4. Design steps
The first antenna type you need to test in this subject is a half-wavelength dipole antenna. First, you
need to specify the solution type of the program, right-click on the design “HFSSDesign1” then choose
“Solution Type” and choose “HFSS” as the solution type and “Modal” in the options. You can save these
options as default if you are using HFSS locally on your laptop.

Then similar to what we did for a metallic rectangular waveguide, we need to follow the main 5 steps:

4.1. Draw the different structures and assign materials

Draw the dipole, it has a length (La) of λ/2 depending on the specified frequency assigned for
each student. Set electric-small values for the antenna radius (Ra) and gap (Lg) between the
two arms (let's say λ/100 for both). The dipole antenna can be drawn in the form of a cylinder
as in the picture below. To draw a cylinder in HFSS, go to the “Draw menu” and select “Draw
Cylinder” shape. You need to specify the center point, radius, and height. Try to parameterize
everything (introduce parameters instead of values) so later you can change it easily.

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 3

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024
Always keep in mind that you can draw in HFSS using different methods, up to what you prefer.
For example, for this simple dipole structure, you can draw it by:
o Drawing a cylinder with the full length and the other with a length of gap (Lg). Select
the big one then the small one and make a subtract operation.
o Draw one arm and duplicate along line.
o Draw one arm and copy it then move.

Assign a material to be copper (or any metal you prefer). Finally, draw a rectangle in the middle
as in the picture shown below to be used as the excitation (signal source).

4.2.Adjust excitations and boundary conditions

Assign a lumped port excitation for the rectangle in the middle (select it, right-click > Assign
Excitation > Port > Lumped Port). Leave everything by default except you need to draw an
“Integration Line” in its middle starting from one arm (any of the two) to the other so HFSS
can understand the direction of field flow.

If you remember for the waveguide example, we only had to draw our structure (the
waveguide itself), and then for the surrounding parts, we did not need to do anything as HFSS
by default assigns a perfect conductor “PEC” to the background. For the waveguide case, it is
ok because all fields were inside our structure so does not matter the surrounding parts.
However, here we are in an “open” case which is the antenna so we need to set the
background or the surrounding parts to be free-space. Hence, we need to draw an air box
surrounding the antenna and assign its boundary condition as “Radiation” so the program will
ensure that the radiated fields will not be reflected back and affect our structure.
To do so, you can right-click on the drawing place and select “Create Open Region” then
introduce your frequency, leave the default boundary condition of “Radiation” and press OK.
You can use also “PML” boundaries too which stand for Perfect Matched Layer which gives
higher accuracies compared to Radiation boundary, however, for our example, Radiation is
more than enough.

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 4

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024

With this, the program will automatically create an air box and assign it a space of λ/3 far away
from each edge of your structure. Additionally, at the project manager part at left, you will find
that it automatically creates three objects under the “Radiation option” which represent the
change in the Theta and Phi coordinate axes that you want to see the far field parameters
(such as directivity or gain) based on them. These 3 cuts represent the 3D complete space and
the 3 possible 2D cuts as summarized in the table below.
Radiation cut name Phi range Theta range Cut
3D -180<φ<180 0<θ<180 Complete space
Azimuth -180<φ<180 Θ=90 XY plane
Elevation Φ=0,90 -180<θ<180 XZ and YZ planes

4.3.Set analysis setups and frequency sweep

Right-click on “Analysis” then choose Add Solution Setup > Advanced. Set the simulation
frequency to your frequency (different for each student) by choosing 6 for the “maximum
number of passes” and 0.02 for the “Maximum delta S”. So the program will do initial meshing
and then enhance it (divide the structure into smaller sizes) until one of the two conditions is
achieved
A. It arrives at the requested convergence criteria of delta in the S parameter of (2% here)
B. It repeated until it arrives at the maximum number of passes (6 passes here)

After that, right-click on the setup 1 you created and select “Add > Frequency Sweep” and add
2 of them around your frequency so you can see the behavior of your antenna in and out of

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 5

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024
its resonance while seeing which bandwidth it covers (let's say from 1 to 5GHz if your
frequency is 2.45). The two frequency sweeps are:
A. Sweep: Interpolating with 1000 points without saving the fields, this is a fast option
to see S and Z parameters with high resolution without taking time to solve all the
points.
B. Sweep1: Discrete with a smaller number of points (take a step of 0.1GHz) with
enabling save the fields option which takes time and memory to save them. With this,
you can see far fields such as (directivity, Gain, radiation patterns, and so on). Do not
mark “Save radiated fields only” otherwise, you will not be able to draw the fields in
the antennas such as electric field, magnetic field, surface current, and so on.

4.4.Validate and simulate

Move from the “Draw” menu to “Simulation” and press “Validate”. If everything is correct and
you do not have errors, press “Analyze All”. If you have any errors, go to “Message Manager”
at the bottom of the drawing area and see them to try to fix them before simulating.

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 6

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024

4.5.Results and post-processing

Plot the different results requested in Sec. 1. then investigate them and perform the possible
post-processing.
Start with plotting the reflection coefficient (S11) and antenna impedance (Z11).
Important: If you see the results, you can see that the antenna works close to the designed
frequency, however, not exactly at it. Hence, you need to do some tuning or parametric sweep
to change the main parameter you think can move the response of the antenna which in this
case is the dipole length.

You can try-and-error to change the value of the length until you adjust your resonance correctly
(shifting the minimum of your curve located at your frequency). However, the more professional way
to do so is to use a parametric sweep and directly you can provide different values for this length and
see whole results at once. To do so, first multiply your length with a new parameter which is the tuning
factor as below. Keep in mind that this is just a factor so do not assign any units to it, for example, if it
is 0.5, this means taking half of the current length (so theoretically, this is equivalent to double the
frequency), and so on. Then go to “Optometric” and press right-click and choose “Add < Parametric”.

Consider the following figure and adjust your tuning factor (for example smaller than 1 if you want to
shift the resonance toward higher frequency or larger for smaller frequencies).

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 7

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024

See the whole results of these variable values and repeat the previous step as many times as possible
to have a proper adjustment of the resonance frequency (let's say S11<-15dB). Once you adjust
correctly the resonance frequency, continue with the other parameters and plot them.

5. Delivery:
Include the HFSS design file with a pdf containing all results as indicated in Sec. 1, with short comments
(1 or 2 sentences for each) about these parameters that you can extract for this antenna.
• Reflection coefficient (S11)
o Plot a rectangle plot for the reflection coefficient vs. frequency and put a marker at
the resonance, you will find this parameter under the option of “Create Model
Solution Data Report”.
o Measure the fractional impedance bandwidth you get (the band where S11<-10dB).
• Antenna impedance (Z11)
o Plot a rectangle plot for the input impedance (Z11) (both real and imaginary) vs.
frequency.
o Measure the Z11 of your antenna at the resonance.
o Is it pure real?
• Gain and efficiency vs. frequency
o Plot a rectangle plot for the peak realized gain and total efficiency, you will find these
parameters under the option of “Create Antenna Parameters Report”
o What is the 3-dB gain bandwidth you get?
• 3D Directivity (D) and gain (G)
o Draw two plots, one for each parameter, you will find these parameters under the
option of “Create Far Fields Report” then “3D Polar Plot”.
o Compare the values you get to the theoretical estimations.
• 2D radiation patterns (at Elevation and Azimuth planes)
o Plot in dB the 2D radiation patterns (you can select gain or directivity), you will find
these parameters under the option of “Create Far Fields Report” then “Radiation
patterns”.
o In “Geometry”, select “Elevation” and plot total gain in dB vs theta.
o Add in the same graph, the other cut plane so select “Azimuth” and plot total gain in
dB vs Phi.
o Measure half-power beam width (HPBW), you can find it when you right click then
choose “Trace Characteristics < All < xdb10Beamwidth with x=3”.

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 8

 Radio Frequency Group, GREMA, UC3M, 2024
o Compare the measured HPBW you measured with the theoretical one.
o Repeat the same for λ/4 and λ dipoles (no need to change the structure and simulate
again, you can simply change the frequency so the actual lengths correspond to these
electrical lengths).
• Fields inside the antenna (such as electric field, magnetic fields, surface current)
o Simulate for example the surface current on the dipole “ComplexMag_Jsurf”, you can
do so by selecting the dipole and pressing right-click then choosing “Plot Fields > J”.
o Compare it to the theoretical estimation of the current distribution for λ/2 dipole
o Repeat the same for λ/4 and λ dipoles (again, no need to change the structure, simply
change the frequency).

6. Material:
[1] You can watch these short videos from the “Ansys How To” channel for “Designing a Dipole
Antenna”:
1. Steps I, 2, 3 and 4 (7min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUC720AJvK0

2. Step 5 (7/5/6min), you can skip the first 3 minutes as they are dedicated to how to run the
simulations faster using High Performance Computing (HPC) or remote simulations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92myzcUSwcg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvDUxa-e5I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz7nwLmtotw

[2] C. A. Balanis, “Antenna theory: analysis and design,” John Wiley & sons, 2016. (Sec. 4.5 “FINITE
LENGTH DIPOLE” and Sec. 4.6 “HALF-WAVELENGTH DIPOLE”).

L2: Dipole design based on Ansys HFSS 9