Finite-difference time-domain modeling of ultra-high frequency antennas on and inside the carbon fiber body of a solar-powered electric vehicle

This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by The Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society and can be found at: http://www.aces-society.org/journal.php.Finite-difference time-domain simulations are performed on a 900 MHz band antenna inside and outside the carbon fiber body of a solar-powered electric vehicle. Data are analyzed to determine the optimal antenna placement for transmission to a receiving antenna located toward the rear of the solar vehicle. Modeling data are compared to experimental results. Computational fluid dynamics are used to determine acceptability of external antenna placement. It is found that the ideal antenna would be inside the vehicle’s body and oriented vertically, but that the portion of the body surrounding the antenna must be constructed of a non-conductive material