Efficient full-wave simulation and design optimization of LPDA-fed parabolic reflector antennas using higher-order Method of Moments
- 1Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Pundra University of Science & Technology, Bogura 5800, Bangladesh
Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive full-wave simulation and design methodology for Log-Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA) fed parabolic reflector antennas targeting high-gain wideband applications, with the specific objectives of quantifying feed–reflector mutual coupling and establishing a repeatable,computationally tractable design procedure. Unlike traditional hybrid approaches that ignore mutual coupling between feed and reflector, apply the pre-existing higher-order Method of Moments (MoM) capabilities of WIPL-D Pro (bilinear quadrilateral patches up to 2 λ × 2 λ and polynomial basis functions up to 8th order) within a newly proposed three-step design procedure for the coupled LPDA-reflector system. The proposed three-step design strategy separately optimizes the LPDA, then the full system, and finally iterates on focal ratio to meet specifications. Consider a 10:1 bandwidth (100 MHz to 1 GHz) and three reflector diameters: D = 7.25 m ( 24.2 λ ), D = 21.75 m ( 72.5 λ ), and D = 72.5 m ( 242 λ ). The optimal LPDA comprises 25 dipoles with total length L = 1.75 m , scaling factor τ = 1.096 , and spacing factor σ = 0.052 , achieving VSWR ≤ 2.5 across the band (validated against analytical aperture-efficiency theory; independent experimental or cross-solver validation of the full coupled system is identified as a priority for future work). Results demonstrate that mutual coupling degrades low-frequency gain by 2.1 dB for the smallest dish; reducing F / D from 0.5 to 0.4 partially recovers this loss (13.0 dBi → 14.8 dBi), leaving a residual 0.2 dB shortfall against the 15 dBi target and further degrading S 11 , so the gain specification is not fully met by this adjustment alone. For dishes larger than 21.75 m, coupling effects are negligible. The largest dish (70 m class) requires 600,000 unknowns and simulates in 12 h on a GPU-accelerated desktop; symmetry decomposition reduces this to 1 h. Methodology demonstrates full-wave design of electrically large LPDA-fed reflectors up to 242 λ in the three cases studied here; scalability beyond this demonstrated range was not tested. All reported results are numerical (WIPL-D Pro, single solver); no physical prototype was built or measured, and the proposed D / λ stop ≈ 30 coupling threshold is interpolated from only three simulated reflector diameters and should be treated as a preliminary design guideline pending validation at intermediate scales.
Related
- Simulation the Effect of Back Reflector Layer Addition, Doping, and Thickness on Solar Cell Performance
- Direct Optimization of a 3D Finite-Source Reflector via Neural-Network Parameterization
- Efficient Quantum Simulation of Linearized Vlasov--Poisson Dynamics Using Trotter and THRIFT Hamiltonian Simulation Methods
- Efficient Simulation of Higher-Order Transitions in Resonance Raman Spectroscopy and Its Chiral Extension.
- Efficient Simulation of Gate Leakage Currents in Ultra-scaled Transistors from First Principles
BibTeX
@article{islam2026efficient,
title = {{Efficient full-wave simulation and design optimization of LPDA-fed parabolic reflector antennas using higher-order Method of Moments}},
author = {Shariful Islam},
journal = {Physics Open},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.physo.2026.100490},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physo.2026.100490},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Efficient full-wave simulation and design optimization of LPDA-fed parabolic reflector antennas using higher-order Method of Moments
AU - Shariful Islam
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Physics Open
DO - 10.1016/j.physo.2026.100490
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physo.2026.100490
AB - This paper presents a comprehensive full-wave simulation and design methodology for Log-Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA) fed parabolic reflector antennas targeting high-gain wideband applications, with the specific objectives of quantifying feed–reflector mutual coupling and establishing a repeatable,computationally tractable design procedure. Unlike traditional hybrid approaches that ignore mutual coupling between feed and reflector, apply the pre-existing higher-order Method of Moments (MoM) capabilities of WIPL-D Pro (bilinear quadrilateral patches up to 2 λ × 2 λ and polynomial basis functions up to 8th order) within a newly proposed three-step design procedure for the coupled LPDA-reflector system. The proposed three-step design strategy separately optimizes the LPDA, then the full system, and finally iterates on focal ratio to meet specifications. Consider a 10:1 bandwidth (100 MHz to 1 GHz) and three reflector diameters: D = 7.25 m ( 24.2 λ ), D = 21.75 m ( 72.5 λ ), and D = 72.5 m ( 242 λ ). The optimal LPDA comprises 25 dipoles with total length L = 1.75 m , scaling factor τ = 1.096 , and spacing factor σ = 0.052 , achieving VSWR ≤ 2.5 across the band (validated against analytical aperture-efficiency theory; independent experimental or cross-solver validation of the full coupled system is identified as a priority for future work). Results demonstrate that mutual coupling degrades low-frequency gain by 2.1 dB for the smallest dish; reducing F / D from 0.5 to 0.4 partially recovers this loss (13.0 dBi → 14.8 dBi), leaving a residual 0.2 dB shortfall against the 15 dBi target and further degrading S 11 , so the gain specification is not fully met by this adjustment alone. For dishes larger than 21.75 m, coupling effects are negligible. The largest dish (70 m class) requires 600,000 unknowns and simulates in 12 h on a GPU-accelerated desktop; symmetry decomposition reduces this to 1 h. Methodology demonstrates full-wave design of electrically large LPDA-fed reflectors up to 242 λ in the three cases studied here; scalability beyond this demonstrated range was not tested. All reported results are numerical (WIPL-D Pro, single solver); no physical prototype was built or measured, and the proposed D / λ stop ≈ 30 coupling threshold is interpolated from only three simulated reflector diameters and should be treated as a preliminary design guideline pending validation at intermediate scales.
SN - 2666-0326
ER -