ECE 5340/6340  Final Project

 

Problem Formulation

1.        Research your topic.  Use the internet, library, or any other source.  Find at least one paper in a technical journal (and include a copy with your writeup) that describes the problem you are investigating.  It does not have to (in fact probably won't ) describe how to apply your numerical method to the problem.

2.        Formulate a method of approach: Which numerical method will you choose, and why?  Give a list of the advantages and disadvantages of the methods we have learned for your particular application. Determine what sizes of model are realistic for your application, and can you realistically do them with your method in the amount of time allotted in this class?  Simplify your model as needed, and explain your simplifications.

3.        Find out what you need to know:  What are the parameters of the model that you will need?  Do you need to know electrical properties of some materials (like human body or ground or concrete or anything else)?  What type of source function will you use?  (What frequencies or pulse shapes, what is the spatial distribution, etc.)

 

Model and Method Development:

1.        Prepare your model:  Draw your model in detail, digitize it, and develop code, etc. to integrate it into the computer software you will be using.

2.        Develop or learn to use software:  Develop the software you will use OR learn to use existing software packages as appropriate to your project.

 

Existing software packages include:

  1. XFDTD -- 3D FDTD software with GUI.  Tutorial session will be provided for those who would like to use this software. Available in the sun lab. 
  2. Momentum -- Method of Moments code installed as part of Libra package.  For on-line tutorial see: www.ece.utah.edu/~cfurse  (Then click TUTORIALS and select Libra patch antenna tutorials.  If you are not familiar with ADS, you will need to start with the stub matching tutorial and work through the whole set.)  Available in the sun lab.
  3. ANSYS -- Student version.  Finite Element solver. I have one CD available.

 

Analysis and Use of Method: 

1.        Use your software to analyze the problem you have selected. 

 

Final Report and Poster:

1.        Write a final report on your project.   This should include all of your preliminary results, well-documented software (if you wrote it yourself) or well-kept (DETAILED!) notes on how you used/applied existing software, DETAILED information on your model (sketches, figures, printouts from computer meshes, electrical properties, assumptions, etc.), a summary of your results, and ANYTHING else that would be needed for another student to follow your tracks.  Projects from this class may be expanded into senior projects or research projects, so PLEASE help a fellow student with all of the notes you can.

2.        Prepare a POSTER on your work.

 

Suggestions:

1.        Analysis of EM Pain Control Devices:  Pulsed electromagnetic healers are commonly used to control pain, stimulate muscles or nerves, and heal bone.   Well-documented evidence shows that they are effective, but the physical mechanisms are not well-understood. Model of the knee is available.

2.        Analysis of PEMF devices for Bone Healing:  As described above, PEMF healers can also be used for bone healing.  Again, this is not well-understood.  The devices currently being used have been optimized for rabbits.  Rabbit femurs were broken, and repaired using PEMF.  The best PEMF pulses and electrode configurations were applied to humans and found to work.  It is not clear that they are optimized for humans, however.  Model the rabbit and PEMF device to determine how power is distributed in the rabbit.  Model the human with the same device, and compare the distributions.

3.        Analysis of Triaxial Well Log Equipment: Well Logging is a technique where transmitting loop antennas (loops of wire) are placed down a well borehole, and receiving loops are placed either down the same borehole or in another borehole nearby.  The signal from one antenna to the other can be used to analyze the material between the boreholes to map the geological formation and search for or optimize recovery of oil, gas, metal ores, water, etc.  Stratified rocks like sandstone have large conductivity in one direction but low conductivity in the other.  Analyze the effect of this anisotropy on the received signals.  Present well log equipment is Uni-axial (single loops are parallel to eachother).  It has been suggested that tri-axial sources (3 perpendicular loops) are needed when anisotropy is present.

4.        Analysis of microstrip patch antennas:  Microstrip patch antennas are used for many applications.  There are many ways of simulating these antennas.  Select a method and examine the parameters (cell size, boundary conditions, etc.) that are needed in order to accurately model these antennas.  Compare to analytical solutions. 

5.        Anything else.  You may choose a project of interest to you, of application to your research, or as a preliminary study for your senior project.  Projects that examine a physical effect, compare methods for an application, demonstrate an electromagnetic principle, or cool programming efforts (like write an FEM code, compare first order FDTD with higher order FDTD, FDTD for wave equations, MoM with higher order basis functions, 2D MOM, etc.) are all acceptable. 

 

The most important thing when choosing a project is to make it SMALL enough that you can actually do it in the 2-3 weeks available.  SIMPLIFY!  SIMPLIFY!  SIMPLIFY!