Wireless RF Energy Propagation in Multiply-Connected Reverberant Spaces

Electromagnetic compatibility of electronic systems in reverberant environments is an important issue in the deployment of wireless communications and sensor networks in below-deck compartments of ships and in aircraft cabins and bays. The cumulative buildup and full exchange of radiated electromagnetic energy between multiply-connected reverberant spaces are examined using a simple model adapted from the field of acoustics. Based on conservation of average energy in the diffuse fields, the general model formulation is valid for both weak and strong couplings between the cavities caused by window materials, open apertures, closed and open hatches, seams, and cable/pipe penetrations through bulkheads. Physical energy loss and coupling parameters in three connected chambers are determined from an overlay of model solutions to time-resolved received power measurements, and they can subsequently be used to assess wireless emission coverage and shielding of structures in the connected spaces.