Workshop 3-11: 3D Modeler

Horn Antenna 3D Component

Introduction to ANSYS HFSS

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Parameterized Horn Antenna: 3D Component
• This example is intended to demonstrate how to draw and parameterize geometry in HFSS 3D Modeler. We will
create parameterized geometry for a horn antenna in an airbox, assign appropriate boundary conditions and
excitations. Then we will create 3D component ready to be inserted into HFSS design.

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HFSS: Getting Started

• Launching ANSYS Electronics Desktop 2016.0

• To access ANSYS Electronics Desktop, click the Microsoft Start button,
• Select Programs > ANSYS Electromagnetics > ANSYS Electromagnetics Suite 17.0. Select ANSYS Electronics Desktop 2016.0

• Setting Tool Options

• Note: In order to follow the steps outlined in this example, verify that the following tool options are set :
• Select the menu item Tools > Options > General Options to display the Options dialog. Select the HFSS entry in the hierarchical
window, and click the + sign to show the choices under HFSS
• Click the Boundary Assignment
• Use Wizards for data input when creating new boundaries:  Checked
• Duplicate boundaries/mesh operations with geometry:  Checked
• Click the + sign to show choices under 3D Modeler Options
– Click the Drawing branch
• Automatically cover closed polylines:  Checked
• Edit properties of new primitives:  Checked
– Click the Display branch
• Under Rendering, Set Default transparency to 0.7
• Under History Tree,
Select last command on object/submodel select:  Checked
– Click the OK button

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Getting Started
• Opening a New Project
• In Ansys Electronics Desktop, click the  On the Standard toolbar, or
select the menu item File > New.
• From the Project menu, select Insert HFSS Design.

• Set Solution Type

• Select the menu item HFSS > Solution Type
– Choose Driven Modal /Network Analysis
– Click the OK button

• Set Model Units

• Select the menu item Modeler > Units
– Select Units: in
– Click the OK button

• Set Default Material

• Using the 3D Modeler Materials toolbar, make sure that vacuum is the default material

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HFSS: Creating the Design
• Creating the Feed
• Select the menu item Draw > Box
• Left Mouse click anywhere in the Modeler window to draw the first corner of the box
• Move mouse in XY plane and click again to draw the second corner of the box
• Move mouse along Z axis and click again to draw the third corner of the box
• Select the Command tab from the pop up Properties window.
– Edit position and sizes of the box
• Position: Horn_length ,-a/2 ,-b/2
• Xsize: WG_length
• Ysize: a
• Zsize: b
– Define Variables in the pop up windows as requested:
• Horn_length: 5.2in, a: 0.9in, b: 0.4in, WG_length: 1in

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HFSS: Creating the Design
• Creating the Feed (contd.)
• Select the Attribute tab from the Properties window.
– For the Value of Name type: Horn
– Click the OK button
• To fit the view:
– Select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View. Or press the CTRL+D key
To access Attribute or Command
Properties window of the object, right
click either on the name of the object
• Creating the Horn for Attribute or on the line below for
• Select the menu item Modeler > Grid Plane > YZ Command and choose Properties.
• Select the menu item Draw > Rectangle
• Left Mouse click anywhere in the Modeler window two times to draw the first and the second corners of the rectangle
• Select the Command tab from the pop up Properties window.
– Edit position and sizes of the box
• Position: 0, -FlareA/2,-FlareB/2
• Axis: X
• Ysize: FlareA
• Zsize: FlareB
– Define Variables in the pop up windows as requested:
• FlareA: 2.65in, FlareB: 1.95in
• Click the OK button
• To fit the view:
– Select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View. Or press the CTRL+D key

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HFSS: Creating the Design
• Creating the Horn (contd.)
• Change the view in the modeler window so that the face of the box facing the rectangle is
easily accessible
• Select the menu item Edit > Select > Faces
• Select the faces of the box that is perpendicular to X axis and closer to rectangle
• Select the menu item Modeler > Surface > Create Object From Face
– Note that a new sheet object is created
• Select the menu item Edit > Select > Objects
• Select the menu item Edit > Select > By Name
– Select the objects: Horn_ObjectFromFace1, Rectangle1
– Click the OK button
• Select menu item Modeler > Surface > Connect
• Select the menu item Edit > Deselect All
• Select the menu item Edit > Select All
• Select the menu item Modeler > Boolean > Unite
• Select the menu item Edit > Deselect All

• Overview the model of airspace inside the horn

• Select the menu item HFSS > Design Properties
• change local variables values back and forth and observe changes in geometry

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• Creating a Metal Shell for the Horn
• Select menu item Edit > Select > Faces
• Select menu item Edit > Select > By Name
– Object name: Horn
– Multiple select the faces that make the shell of the horn
• Note: Exclude the aperture face: the bigger face parallel to the YZ plane
– Click the OK button
• Select the menu item Modeler > Surface > Create Object From Face
– Note that new sheet objects are created
– Select the menu item Modeler > Boolean > Unite
– Select the menu item Modeler > Surface > Thicken Sheet
• Thickness: Wall_thickness
– Define Variable in the pop up windows as requested:
• Wall_thickness: 0.05in
• Click the OK button

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• Rename the objects and Assign Materials
• Select the menu item Edit > Select > Objects
• from Modeler tree window, select the objects named Horn
– In the Attribute Properties window, change the name of the object to Horn_air
– Make sure that Material value is set to “vacuum”
• from Modeler tree window, select the objects named Horn_ObjectfromFace2
– In the Properties window, change the name of the object to Horn_shell
• In the Properties window, expand drop down menu from Material Value
– Select “Edit”
– In the top right corner of pop up window, switch libraries from personal to [sys]
Materials
– Select “perfect conductor” from material library
– Click the OK button

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• Creating the Airbox
• Select the menu item Draw > Region
– Padding Data: Pad all directions similarly
– Padding Type: Absolute offset
– Value: rad_dist
– Define Variable in the pop up windows as requested:
• rad_dist: 0.4in
– Click the OK button
• To fit the view:
– Select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View.
Or press the CTRL+D key

• Create Hybrid FEBI region (Radiation Boundary)

• from Modeler tree window, select the object named Region
• Select the menu item HFSS > Hybrid> Assign Assign Hybrid > FE-BI
– Click the OK button

Note: If the object assigned as Hybrid Region type FE-BI,

FEM (finite element method) solver is used inside the
Air_box, and MoM (Method of Moments) solver is used
on the outside. To solve using this option, HFSS-IE license
is necessary. Alternative option that is not requires IE
license is to assign either simple Radiation boundary or
PMLs

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• Create Wave Port Excitation
• Select the menu item Modeler > Grid Plane > YZ
• Select the menu item Draw > Rectangle
• Left Mouse click anywhere in the Modeler window two times to draw the first and the second corners of the rectangle
• Select the Command tab from the pop up Properties window.
– Edit position and sizes of the box
• Position: Horn_length+WG_length, -a/2, -b/2
• Axis: X
• Ysize: a
• Zsize: b
– Select the Attribute tab from the pop up Properties window
• change the name of the object to wport
• Click the OK button

• from Modeler tree window, select the Sheet objects named wport
• Select the menu item HFSS > Excitations > Assign > Wave Port
– Name: 1
– Click the Next button
– Click the Next tab
– Click the Finish button
• Note items under Hybrid Regions and Excitations entries in Project Manager Window

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Creating 3D Component
• Save Project
• Select the menu item File > Save As
– Filename: Horn_parameterized
– Click the Save button

• Create 3D component without airbox

• Select the menu item Edit > Select > Objects
• Select the menu item Edit > Select > By Name
– Object Names: Horn_air, Horn_shell, wport
– Click the OK button
• Select the menu item Draw > 3D Component Library > Create 3D Component
– Fill in the form as desired in the Info tab
– Look through all tabs in the window
• In the Model Tab, check that all objects are included
• In the Excitations Tab, check that port is included, pay attention to port description
– Click the Ok button Note that variable
– Filename: horn_without_airbox.a3dcomp rad_dist is not included in
– Click the Save button the parameter set for 3D
component. This variable
is used to parameterize
object Region that is not
included in this version of
3D component.

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Creating 3D Component
• Create 3D component with airbox and FE-BI Hybrid Region
• Select the menu item Edit > Deselect all
• Select the menu item Edit > Select All
• Select the menu item Draw > 3D Component Library > Create 3D Component
– Fill in the form as desired in the Info tab
– Look through all tabs in the window
• In the Model Tab, check that all four objects are included
• In the Excitations Tab, check that port is included, pay attention to port description
• In the Boundaries Tab, check that Radiation boundary is included, pay attention to description

– Click the Ok button

– Filename: horn_FEBI.a3dcomp
– Click the Save button

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Place several instances of the same 3D component into
design
• Opening a New Design
• From the Project menu, select Insert HFSS Design.
• Rightclick on HFSSDesign2 and choose Rename
– Type Placement_test as a name for new design
– Make sure the solution type is Driven Modal

• Insert 3D component
• Select the menu item Draw > 3D Component Library > Browse
– Navigate to the location of the component file
– Select the file horn_without_airbox
– Click the Open
• In popup window, change the values as desired
• Click the Ok button

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Place several instances of same 3D component into design
(contd.)
• Create Rotated Relative Coordinate System
• Select the menu item Modeler > Coordinate System > Create > Relative CS > Both
– Press and hold X key to restrict cursor movement along X axis of working coordinate system
– Click anywhere along the negative direction of X axis to indicate the origin of the new coordinate system
– Click anywhere along in the negative direction of X axis to indicate the X direction of the new coordinate system
– Press and hold Y key to restrict cursor movement parallel Y axis of working coordinate system
– Click anywhere along the negative direction of Y axis to indicate the Y direction of the new coordinate system
– Expand Coordinate Systems line in Modeler Tree window. RelativeCS1 coordinate system is the target coordinate system for
placing the second horn. Horns will be aligned and facing each other.
• Rename RelativeCS1
– Double click on RelativeCS1 line in Modeler tree
– Enter Horn2 as a new name in the popup window

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Place several instances of same 3D component into design
(contd.)
• Insert second 3D component
• Select the menu item Draw > 3D Component Library > Browse
– Navigate to the location of the component file
– Select the file horn_without_airbox
– Click the Open
• In popup window,
– Target Coordinate System: Horn2
– change the Parameter values as desired
• Click the Ok button

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Overview the design with components
• Overview the design with two 3D components of the horn
• Components are indicated as HFSSDesign1_1 and HFSSDesign1_2 in both Project manager and Modeler tree windows
• To overview properties and change the values of horn parameters, rightclick on the name of 3D component, choose Properties
• In the Parameters tab, edit values of parameters as desired, observe changes in geometry
• Notice that both ports are assigned and parameterized with 3D components
• The distance between horns may be controlled by properties of Relative coordinate system Horn2

• Summary

• Rectangular horn from scratch is drawn and parameterized.

• Two versions of 3D component for horn are created.
• Example of two instances of the same 3D component placed in the same design is shown
• 3D components we created will be used in workshop called “Reflector Antenna”.

17 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. December 22, 2015 Release 2016.0