A generalized framework for hybrid simulation of multi-component structures using iterative field refinement

When applying computational simulation techniques to scattering or radiation problems, it is often possible to decompose a complicated geometry into simpler elemental structures (i.e., a helicopter rotor system into its individual blades). By then simulating each component separately, a given problem can be decomposed into smaller and more manageable components, as long as account is taken of the coupling between each component. To implement such coupling, this paper describes a generalized iterative field refinement (IFR) framework, and demonstrates how it can be used as a basis for many hybrid approaches. Within this framework, IFR can also be used to accelerate simulation of geometries made up of rotated, translated, reflected, or replicated versions of a given structure. Several examples are given to show that an approach built around IFR reduces total computation time while allowing the combination of different analysis methods in treating each of the separate components comprising the structure