Effect of the wall structure on the level of the radiated electric field due to indoor PLC circuit

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a frequency domain analysis of high frequency behaviour of an indoor Powerline communications (PLC) circuit in the presence of a plaster board/concrete wall structure. The main purpose of this analysis is to investigate the influence of the wall structure on the current distribution and the radiated electric field due to PLC signals in range from 3 MHz to 30 MHz.

Design/methodology/approach

The mathematical model is based on the full‐wave theory formulated by the Mixed Potential Integral Equation (MPIE) for the electric field due to energized thin‐wire conductors in stratified media. The solution for the current and the electric field distribution is obtained by using the Method of Moments.

Findings

Numerical results are obtained of the current distribution along the conductors of the PLC circuit and the radiated electric field in presence of a wall structure. Two cases are analyzed: when the circuitry is placed in the wall; and when the circuitry is placed outside the wall.

Practical implications

The paper presents the mathematical model that may be applied for analysis of indoor PLC circuits placed in presence of wall structures.

Originality/value

In the paper, a full‐wave model of the PLC circuitry in presence of a wall structure is developed, on the basis of MPIE and the Method of Moments.

Citation

Arnautovski‐Toševa, V., El Khamlichi Drissi, K. and Kerroum, K. (2012), "Effect of the wall structure on the level of the radiated electric field due to indoor PLC circuit", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 1105-1121. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321641211227357