Application of the Finite-Difference Frequency-Domain (FDFD) method on radiowave propagation in urban environments

Abstract In this work a Finite-Difference Frequency-Domain (FDFD) propagation method for complex urban environments is proposed. The formulation starts from the discretization of the Helmholtz equation for the magnetic field instead of the usual separate one order derivative Ampere's and Faraday's laws. The Stretched Coordinate Perfectly Matched Layer (SCPML) is used as an absorbing boundary condition. These procedures produce less field components to estimate and achieve high wave absorption at the computation domain boundaries. The main goal is the rigorous prediction of VHF/SHF signals in real urban scenarios through the evaluation of several propagation mechanisms: direct rays, diffraction, reflection and refraction effects. The method is validated through an analytic problem and preliminary results are generated by two case studies: a cellular system measurement campaign and an idealized urban scenario.