Leveraging Near-Field Measurement Data to Enhance Digital Twin Accuracy

This paper addresses the challenges of achieving high-fidelity digital twin models for electrically large structures, particularly in areas such as electromagnetic field scattering, antenna placement, electromagnetic compatibility, and coupling evaluations. The “Link” approach combines spherical near-field electromagnetic measurements with advanced post-processing techniques to produce a highly accurate digital twin of the radiating element. This digital twin can then be exported to any full-wave electromagnetic solver and integrated into large structures, such as the aircraft studied in this work. In this paper, we investigate and validate the accuracy of this approach by comparing the digital twin model derived from measurements to a full-wave simulation of the same antenna element using the Ansys HFSS solver. The radiation patterns, with the antenna placed in various positions on the electrically large aircraft, closely matched, confirming the effectiveness of the “Link” approach.