Desenvolvimento de Interface gráfica como suporte para soluções numéricas das equações de Maxwell em coordenadas gerais – 3D

Abstract

In this work, we have implemented a graphical user interface (GUI) by using the Nokia Qt library (version 3.0). The interface is designed to simplify the creation of scenarios for executing parallel E.M. Simulations by using the numerical technique Local Non-Orthogonal Finite Difference Time-Domain (LN-FDTD) method, applied to solve Maxwell's equations. The simulator was developed by using the C programming language and parallelized by using threads. This way, the pthread library was employed. The 3D visualization of the scenario and of the corresponding mesh to be simulated is performed by a specially developed program based on the OpenGL specification. In order to improve the development and to achieve the goals of computational design, we have used concepts of software engineering, such as the process model for software prototyping. Depriving the user to interact directly with the source code of the simulation program, the probability of human errors while performing the constructing process of scenarios is minimized. In order to demonstrate the operation of the developed tool, a study regarding lightning-induced voltages on low voltage lines with catenaries is performed. Induced voltages inside a small building (a residence) are also studied.