Numerical Solutions of Maxwell's Equations in the Presence of Complex Geometries

Crosstalk in copper cable bundles has been identified as a significant cause of signal degradation over long distances. It limits the maximum achievable internet bandwidths to homes and businesses supplied by the traditional copper-based infrastructure, and is particularly problematic in remote areas. The aim of this project is to identify which aspects of the system are most vulnerable to crosstalk and to explore various countermeasures. This shall be achieved using new techniques based on finite volume methods which will be capable of solving Maxwell's equations in the presence of complicated conductor geometries found within and around cable bundles. Though most finite volume methods for electromagnetism make use of unstructured grids, we aim to develop Cartesian cut-cell methods capable of resolving curved surfaces to a high accuracy while maintaining the computational efficiency of Cartesian grids.