A 3D parabolic equation (PE) based technique for predicting propagation path loss in an Urban Area

Abstract

A mobile radio environment places fundamental limitations on the performance of wireless communication systems. Most models developed to predict propagation path loss have been historically performed in a statistical approach. These models are expensive to develop and do not offer the accuracy, computational advantages, and sufficiency as the parabolic equation (PE). The goal of this thesis is to develop a 3D model based on PE for predicting propagation path loss in urban areas on flat and hilly terrains. The PE method offers the computational advantages, where one can approximate the elliptic operator governing the true wave behavior by a much simpler parabolic operator that permits marching in range. Moreover those all-important aspects of propagation such as reflection and diffraction are included automatically in the formulation. Four test problems on flat terrain and two test problems on hilly terrain will be simulated. For the flat terrain, the 3D PE model results will be compared with the two-ray, the four-ray, the UTD, and the numerical integration technique results. For the hilly terrain, the results of the 3D PE model will be compared with the UTD and the numerical integration technique results.