Treatment of arbitrary-shaped boundaries with the finite-volume time-domain (FVTD) method

Abstract

The use of unstructured meshes enables the Finite-Volume Time-Domain (FVTD) method to deal with arbitrarily shaped boundaries. A selection of different boundary conditions that can be applied to surfaces is presented in this paper: dielectric interfaces, ports, perfect conductors and absorbing boundaries. The successful treatment of arbitrarily shaped boundaries is proved on the basis of two examples. First, the simulation of a corrugated horn antenna with the use of homogenized boundaries is presented. Second, a broadband double-ridged horn antenna including oblique and curved surfaces is investigated. Both examples are embedded in computational domains with boundaries shaped to minimize reflections.