Experiment 4

Design and simulation of a rectangular waveguide using Ansys

HFSS and study of the signal transmission through waveguide

Aim:
(i) To design an air-filled copper rectangular waveguide operating at X band
with dimensions a= 2.286 cm, b = 1.016 cm, length, l = 20 cm using Ansys
HFSS tool.
(ii) To determine the cutoff frequency of the dominant mode, propagation
constant above and below the cutoff frequency and to plot the electric field
lines of the dominant mode.

Tools Required:
Ansys HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator) tool.

Rectangular Waveguide:
A rectangular waveguide is a hollow metallic tube with a rectangular cross section.
The conducting walls of the guide confine the electromagnetic fields and thereby
guide the electromagnetic wave. A number of distinct field configurations or
modes can exist in waveguides. When the waves travel longitudinally down the
guide, the plane waves are reflected from wall to wall. This process results in a
component of either electric or magnetic field in the direction of propagation of the
resultant wave; therefore the wave is no longer a transverse electromagnetic (TEM)
wave. In lossless waveguides, the modes may be classified as either transverse
electric (TE) mode or transverse magnetic (TM) mode. In rectangular guides the
modes are designated TEmn or TMmn. The integer ‘m’ denotes the number of half
waves of electric or magnetic intensity in the x direction, and ‘n’ is the number of
half waves in the y direction if the propagation of the wave is assumed in the
positive z direction.
 Figure 4.1: Rectangular Waveguide

Design:
Design an air-filled, copper X-band rectangular waveguide having dimensions
a=2.286 cm and b=1.016 cm and length, l=20 cm using Ansys HFSS. Find the cut-
off frequencies of the first five propagating modes. Also determine the propagation
constant at 10GHz. [Example 3-1 from Microwave Engineering 2nd Edition by
David Pozar]
The cutoff frequencies are given by

For TMz or TEz mode the propagation constant is,

Above cut off: 𝒌𝒛 = 𝜷
 Below cut off: 𝒌𝒛 = 𝒋𝜶
𝒎𝝅 𝟐 𝒏𝝅 𝟐
𝜷 = √(𝒌𝟐 − ( ) −( )
𝒂 𝒃

Figure 4.2: Fields in a rectangular waveguide

Design Procedure:
(i) To design an air-filled copper rectangular waveguide operating at X band with
dimensions a= 2.286 cm, b = 1.016 cm, length l = 20 cm using Ansys HFSS tool.

Design Steps in Ansys HFSS:

1. Open a ‘New Project’. Save the Project. Go to ‘Project -> Insert HFSS Design’.
2. Draw a box as shown in Figure 4.3 and assign the box dimensions and properties
as shown in Figure 4.4 and 4.5.
 Figure 4.3: Box creation

Figure 4.4: Box dimensions

3. Assign the material for the rectangular waveguide by selecting the faces of the
box. For this go to ‘Edit -> Select -> Faces’

For the remaining steps please refer to the video attached.

Inference Questions:
1. Design a rectangular waveguide, made of brass operating at 10 GHz, with
dimensions a = 1.5 cm, b = 0.6 cm, l = 20 cm and filled with polyethylene
(dielectric constant = 2.25) using Ansys HFSS tool. Determine the cutoff frequency
of the dominant mode, propagation constant above and below the cutoff frequency
and to plot the electric field lines of the dominant mode. [Example 10-8 from
Engineering Electromagnetics by David K Cheng; Solution is given below for
verification]
2. If the length of the waveguide is increased, what all parameters will be changing?
Justify your answer.
3. Is there any effect on the results if we remove the radiation box? Justify your
answer.
Solution 1:
Steps for plotting higher order modes in HFSS:
I. For plotting TE20 mode in HFSS

Step1: Go to Excitation-> Double click ‘1’ and set the number of modes as 2

Step2: Go to HFSS -> Fields -> Edit sources and do the following settings

Step 3: Go to Field Overlays -> E Field -> Mag_E1 -> Modify plot.
Step 4: In modify plot, change the solution to ‘Sweep’ as shown in the figure below,
set the frequency to 14 GHz which is above the cutoff frequency of TE01 mode and
click ‘Apply’ and ‘Done’.

Step 5: For visualizing the animation, Go to Field Overlays -> E Field -> Mag_E1
-> Animate
 Figure: TE20 mode of Propagation

II. For plotting TE01 mode in HFSS

Step1: Go to Excitation-> Double click ‘1’ and set the number of modes as 3

Step2: Go to HFSS -> Fields -> Edit sources and do the following settings

Step 3: Go to Field Overlays -> E Field -> Mag_E1 -> Modify plot.
Step 4: In modify plot, change the solution to ‘Sweep’ as shown in the figure below,
set the frequency to 15 GHz which is above the cutoff frequency of TE01 mode and
click ‘Apply’ and ‘Done’.

Step 5: For visualizing the animation, Go to Field Overlays -> E Field -> Mag_E1
-> Animate
Figure: TE01 mode of Propagation