Date of Award

Spring 2019

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Electrical Engineering

First Advisor

David W. Matolak

Abstract

Path loss modeling plays a fundamental role in the design of fixed and mobile communication systems for a range of applications. Another term for path loss is channel attenuation, or reduction in signal power from transmitter to receiver. Work here was in support of a NASA project for advanced air traffic management (ATM) applications, specifically for improving the efficiency of airports. Measurements in the millimeter wave (mmWave) band were conducted at 31 GHz in indoor settings at a small municipal airport, the Jim Hamilton–L.B. Owens Airport, in Columbia, SC. Some measurements were also taken at 5 GHz for comparison. A combination of line of sight (LOS) and non-line of sight (NLOS) measurements were taken throughout two airport buildings. This includes inside the terminal building on both floors and inside a maintenance hangar. After samples were taken, path loss models were computed. As expected, 5 GHz signals show less attenuation than the 31 GHz signals, and both signals are influenced by nearby indoor objects. For both the terminal building and the maintenance hangar, path loss exponents were larger than the free space value of two, and standard deviations of the model fits slightly larger than those found for indoor office environments.

Rights

© 2019, Alexander L. Grant

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