Finite-element method coupled with method of lines for the analysis of planar or quasi-planar transmission lines

A full-wave analysis incorporating the finite-element method (FEM) and the method of lines (MoL) is presented in this paper to investigate a planar or quasi-planar transmission-line structure containing complex geometric/material features. For a transmission-line structure being considered, the regions containing complex media are modeled by the FEM while those consisting of simple media with simple geometry are analyzed using the MoL. From the field solutions calculated by MoL, the boundary conditions are constructed. The boundary integrals involved in finite-element analysis are then carried out using these boundary conditions. Since the finite-element analysis is employed only in the complex parts of the structures, while other parts are handled by the MoL, this approach not only retains the major advantage of the FEM in simulating complex structures but also becomes more efficient than the conventional finite-element analysis. Good agreement between the calculated results and those reported in the available literature is obtained and thus validates the present approach. Furthermore, proficient computational efficiency of this method is demonstrated by examining its convergence property. Finally, a number of relevant transmission-line structures are analyzed to illustrate the applications of this approach.