Ansys Releases HFSS 12.1 With IE Solver Option

Ansys has announced the 12.1 release of HFSS software, a technology for 3D full-wave electromagnetic field simulation. The product introduces an integral equation (IE) electromagnetic solver option, which is based on 3D full-wave method of moments (MoM), which can be implemented in the HFSS desktop. This technology is effective for large-scale radiating and scattering simulation studies. For example, an aircraft system integrator interested in antenna placement or radar cross-section (RCS) studies can accurately simulate and design with the IE solver, reducing prototype iterations, cost and time to market.

HFSS software helps engineers design, simulate and validate the behaviour of complex high-performance radio frequency (RF), microwave and millimetre-wave devices in next-generation wireless devices, defence communication systems and consumer electronics. Users of this latest version of HFSS software are said to be able to achieve a reduction in development time and costs while realising increased reliability and design optimisation. The MoM solution procedure used in the HFSS IE solver is suitable for modelling open or radiating problems.

The solver computes the currents on the surfaces of objects and uses those currents to accurately determine the radiated and/or scattered fields. The IE solver provides an automatically adapted and conformal triangular mesh for accuracy. For the largest models requiring the greatest computational resources, the IE solver automatically applies a matrix-based adaptive cross approximation (ACA) algorithm to achieve solution efficiency. This minimises memory and time for the overall simulation.

Setting up such a simulation consists of defining the model, geometry, boundary conditions, material properties and excitations; the simulation process is fully automated, requiring little user input and providing confidence and reliability in the results. HFSS users can implement the IE solver as a new design type in the HFSS desktop. The software can share models, including material properties and geometries, between designs and design types. Current HFSS users will require a little additional training to understand the new capabilities.

The IE solver can use field results from the HFSS finite element method (FEM) solver as a sourcing excitation. Thus, an antenna designer can simulate a feeding antenna structure using the wide variety of source excitations available in HFSS software and link the fields to the IE solver to efficiently compute the radiation pattern of a large dish antenna. Users benefit from both the general utility of HFSS and the computational efficiency of the IE option all within a familiar desktop environment.