Using the FEniCS Package for FEM Solutions in Electromagnetics

Author

Otto, A.J. ; Marais, N. ; Lezar, E. ; Davidson, D.B.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Electron. Eng., Comput. Electromagn. Group, Univ. of Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa

Volume

54

Issue

4

fYear

2012

Firstpage

206

Lastpage

223

Abstract

FEniCS is a set of software tools that allows for rapid implementation of expressions associated with finite-element analysis. The main interface for FEniCS is DOLFIN, which provides both C++ and Python front ends to the software tools. The use of the Python front end, PyDOLFIN, to model various electromagnetic (EM) problems is investigated. Some elementary problems implemented in FEniCS include the scalar potential solution to closed- and open-boundary electrostatic problems, as well as the cutoff and dispersion analysis of a hollow rectangular waveguide. More advanced topics considered include the implementation of radiation from an infinitesimal dipole, and near-field-to-far-field transformations.

Keywords

C++ listings; computational electromagnetics; electrostatics; finite element analysis; rectangular waveguides; software packages; C++; DOLFIN interface; FEM solution; FEniCS software tool packaging; PyDOLFIN; Python front end; closed-boundary electrostatic problem; computational EM problem; computational electromagnetic problem; dispersion analysis; finite-element analysis; hollow rectangular waveguide; infinitesimal dipole radiation; near-field-to-far-field transformation; open-boundary electrostatic problem; scalar potential solution; Boundary conditions; Electric potential; Electromagnetics; Electrostatics; Finite element methods; Vectors; Computational electromagnetics; DOLFIN; FEniCS; Finite Element Method; Python;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Antennas and Propagation Magazine, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1045-9243

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/MAP.2012.6309184

Filename

6309184