A new class of S-band microwave poewr module for phased antenna array radar applications

A new class of microwave power module (MPM) is being developed for phased antenna array applications. The MPM consists of a compact S-band 1 kW traveling-wave tube (TWT), a solid-state pre-amplifier, and a power supply. The proposed S-band MPM provides tenfold peak power increase compared to state-of-the art S-band MPMs. The TWT amplifier is driven by a 6 kV, 0.9 A electron beam. A depressed collector which was designed by using a 3-D conformal finite-difference time-domain particle-in-cell code,VORPAL [1], was employed to maximize the efficiency. The compact and lightweight S-band TWT is short in length (circuit length is six inches) and weighs only 700 g. The preliminary hot test result of the TWT showed 900 W peak power in S-band. The design, fabrication, and characterization of each components that consist the MPM will be discussed. The cold and hot test results will be presented.