Diseño Eficiente de Dispositivos Pasivos de RF para Comunicaciones Espaciales mediante Nuevos Algoritmos de Análisis Electromagnético Paralelizados

Título del proyecto: Diseño Eficiente de Dispositivos Pasivos de RF para Comunicaciones Espaciales mediante Nuevos Algoritmos de Análisis Electromagnético Paralelizados
Entidad financiadora: Programa TRACE (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación)
Ref. TRA2009_0077
Entidades participantes: Grupo de Aplicaciones de Microondas (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Grupo de Redes y Computación de Altas Prestaciones (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Aurora Software and Testing S.L. (España)
Duración: 01/03/2010 – 29/02/2012
Investigador responsable: Dr. Vicente E. Boria Esbert (Coordinador)
Número de investigadores participantes: 4 (Grupo de Aplicaciones de Microondas), 8 (Proyecto)

Abstract: The main objective of this project is to transfer the University knowledge  about new algorithms for the electromagnetic analysis, as well as novel techniques for the parallelization of the numerical algorithms needed, to the company AURORASAT. This transfer of knowledge will result on the development of software tools for the analysis and optimised design of new and complex passive microwave and millimetre wave circuits in waveguide technology for space communication systems. During the next decades, the components that will support the next generation of radio-communication systems will be developed to operate at higher frequencies. In this sense, the tolerances of these devices will be much more restrictive. This fact will result on the necessity of algorithms that permit to perform optimized designs with increased accuracy. As a consequence, the space industry requires novel and efficient algorithms for the electromagnetic simulation of complex microwave and millimetre wave devices. Currently, there are available in the market some general purpose electromagnetic solvers, that allow getting the response of RF subsystems. This kind of software packages, despite its versatility, requires very high computational resources, especially if they are used together with optimization algorithms to design the components. On the contrary, the techniques proposed in this project allow to obtain the electromagnetic response with very high accuracy making use of very low computational effort. Proceeding in this way, the software developed shall result on a very useful CAD (Computer-Aided Design) tool for the industry devoted to the space communications sector. In this context, it is proposed the transfer of knowledge between AURORASAT and the Technical University of Valencia (UPV), through the group of Microwave Applications (GAM) and the Networking and High Performance Computing group (GRyCAP). The objectives of this project can be split into two different blocks:

• Implementation of new capacities for the electromagnetic analysis of passive microwave and millimetre wave devices with complex geometry based on the knowledge generated by the GAM;

• Implementation of new techniques to solve structured matrix problems, as well as parallelization of the developed methods in order to reduce the computational resources employed in the electromagnetic analysis of the RF devices. In this part of the project, it is essential the participation of the GRyCAP, since this research group has a great background in the field of high performance computing.

Therefore, this project will allow AURORASAT to enhance significantly the functionalities of the software developed and distributed by the company for the design of passive microwave devices. Moreover, the software tools developed shall also permit the subsequent use of optimization algorithms, which make successive calls to the electromagnetic solver, in order to perform the optimized design of new components. Consequently, the CAD tool commercialized by the company will be at the forefront in its area, being a step forward of its competitors.