A high efficiency, miniaturized Ka band traveling wave tube based on a novel finned ladder RF circuit design

Author

Wintucky, E.G. ; Wilson, J.D. ; Vaden, K.R. ; Force, D.A. ; Freeman, J.C. ; Lesny, G.G. ; Kory, C.L. ; Chevalier, C.T. ; Ebihara, B. ; Dayton, J.A.

Author_Institution

NASA Glenn Res. Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

fYear

2002

fDate

2002

Firstpage

44

Lastpage

45

Abstract

Summary form only given. Space communications architectures are being planned to meet the high rate data of future NASA Enterprise missions. These will require the use of traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) to provide the high frequency, RF power and efficiency needed for many of the communications links. A program addressing these requirements is underway for the development of a high efficiency, 20 watt, 32 GHz TWT of reduced size and weight that is based on a novel high gain slow-wave circuit design, termed the "finned ladder". The finned ladder slow-wave circuit, has an exceptionally high gain per unit length. The very high RF/electron beam interaction impedance (>100 ohms) enables more than 40 dB of gain over a 5 cm length and an RF efficiency greater than 20%, which offers a significant reduction in RF circuit length and the potential for TWT miniaturization. Fabrication by micromachining techniques is being investigated.

Keywords

micromachining; microwave power amplifiers; millimetre wave power amplifiers; slow wave structures; space communication links; travelling wave amplifiers; 100 ohm; 20 W; 20 percent; 32 GHz; 40 dB; 5 cm; NASA Enterprise missions; RF circuit length; RF efficiency; RF power TWTA; RF/electron beam interaction impedance; TWT miniaturization; communications links; finned ladder RF circuit design; gain per unit length; high efficiency travelling wave tube; high frequency operation; high gain slow-wave circuit design; micromachining fabrication techniques; miniaturized Ka-band TWT; space communications architectures; traveling wave tube amplifiers; Circuit synthesis; Electron beams; Gain; High power amplifiers; Impedance; NASA; Radio frequency; Radiofrequency amplifiers; Space exploration; Space missions;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Vacuum Electronics Conference, 2002. IVEC 2002. Third IEEE International

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7256-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IVELEC.2002.999251

Filename

999251