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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Modular Low-Heater-Power Cathode/Electron Gun Assembly for Microwave and Millimeter Wave Traveling Wave Tubes

A low-cost, low-mass, electrically efficient, modular cathode/electron gun assembly has been developed by FDE Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon, under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. This new assembly offers significant improvements in the design and manufacture of microwave and millimeter wave traveling-wave tubes (TWT's) used for radar and communications. It incorporates a novel, low-heater-power, reduced size and mass, high-performance barium dispenser type thermionic cathode and provides for easy integration of the cathode into a large variety of conventional TWT circuits. Among the applications are TWT's for Earth-orbiting communication satellites and for deep space communications, where future missions will require smaller spacecraft, higher data transfer rates (higher frequencies and radiofrequency output power), and greater electrical efficiency. A particularly important TWT application is in the microwave power module (a hybrid microwave/millimeter wave amplifier consisting of a low-noise solid-state driver, a small TWT, and an electronic power conditioner integrated into a single compact package), where electrical efficiency and thermal loading are critical factors and lower cost is needed for successful commercialization. The design and fabrication are based on practices used in producing cathode ray tubes (CRT's), which is one of the most competitive and efficient manufacturing operations in the world today. The approach used in the design and manufacture of thermionic cathodes and electron guns for CRT's has been optimized for fully automated production, standardization of parts, and minimization of costs. It is applicable to the production of similar components for microwave tubes, with the additional benefits of low mass and significantly lower cathode heater power (less than half that of dispenser cathodes presently used in TWT s). Modular cathode/electron gun assembly. The modular cathode/electron gun assembly consists of four subassemblies the cathode, the focus electrode, the header (including the electrical feedthroughs), and the gun envelope (including the anode) a diagram of which is shown. The modular construction offers a number of significant advantages, including flexibility of design, interchangeability of parts, and a drop-in final assembly procedure for quick and accurate alignment. The gun can accommodate cathodes ranging in size from 0.050 to 0.250-in. in diameter and is applicable to TWT's over a broad range of sizes and operating parameters, requiring the substitution of only a few parts: that is, the cathode, focus electrode, and anode. The die-pressed cathode pellets can be made with either flat or concave (Pierce gun design) emitting surfaces. The gun can be either gridded (pulse operation) or ungridded (continuous operation). Important factors contributing to low cost are the greater use of CRT materials and parts, the standardization of processes (welding and mechanical capture), and tooling amenable to automated production. Examples are the use of simple shapes, drawn or stamped metal parts, and parts joined by welding or mechanical capture. Feasibility was successfully demonstrated in the retrofit and testing of a commercial Kaband (22-GHz) TWT. The modular cathode/electron gun assembly was computer modeled to replicate the performance of the original electron gun and fabricated largely from existing CRT parts. Significant test results included demonstration of low heater power (1.5-W, 1010 C brightness temperature for a 0.085-in.-diameter cathode), mechanical ruggedness (100g shock and vibration tests in accordance with military specifications (MIL specs)), and a very fast warmup. The results of these tests indicate that the low-cost CRT manufacturing approach can be used without sacrificing performance and reliability.

Wintucky, Edwin G.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Direct Digital Modulation of Traveling Wave Tubes

Traveling wave tube (TWT) technology, first described by Rudolf Kompfner in the early 1940s, has been a key component of space missions from the earliest communication satellites in the 1960s to the Cassini probe today. TWTs are essentially signal amplifiers that have the special capability of operating at microwave frequencies. The microwave frequency range, which spans from approximately 500 MHz to 300 GHz, is shared by many technologies including cellular phones, satellite television, space communication, and radar. TWT devices are superior in reliability, weight, and efficiency to solid-state amplifiers at the high power and frequency levels required for most space missions. TWTs have three main components -an electron gun, slow wave structure, and collector. The electron gun generates an electron beam that moves along the length of the tube axis, inside of the slow wave circuit. At the same time, the inputted signal is slowed by its travel through the coils of the helical slow wave circuit. The interaction of the electron beam and this slowed signal produces a transfer of kinetic energy to the signal, and in turn, amplification. At the end of its travel, the spent electron beam moves into the collector where its remaining energy is dissipated as heat or harnessed for reuse. TWTs can easily produce gains in the tens of decibels, numbers that are suitable for space missions. To date, however, TWTs have typically operated at fixed levels of gain. This gain is determined by various, unchanging, physical factors of the tube. Traditionally, to achieve varying gain, an input signal s amplitude has had to first be modulated by a separate device before being fed into the TWT. This is not always desirable, as significant distortion can occur in certain situations. My mentor, Mr. Dale Force, has proposed an innovative solution to this problem called direct digital modulation . The testing and implementation of this solution is the focus of my summer internship. The direct digital modulation of a TWT removes the need for a separate amplitude modulation device. Instead, different levels of gain are achieved by varying the electron beam current. The lower the current, the less kinetic energy is available to be transferred to the signal. To vary the current, a grid is placed in-between the electron gun and the slow wave circuit. By changing the voltage across the grid, the electron beam current can be controlled. Grid technology has mostly been used in pulse applications such as radar, where only two voltage states are necessary. For direct digital modulation, however, a continuous range of voltages is required.

Radhamohan, Ranjan S.↗
NASA NTRS1968

X-band traveling wave maser.

Traveling wave maser providing 41.5 db net gain when installed in closed cycle helium refrigerator, measuring input noise temperature

Clauss, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1968

36 GHz travelling wave maser.

Traveling wave maser with 6 db amplification at 36 GHz, using Cr ion doped rutile as active material and superconducting magnet for DC magnetic field

Hagen, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Coupling of electromagnetic waves and space charge waves in type O traveling wave tubes

H. Derfler observed that a parameter defined by Pierce's perturbation method does not have the same physical significance as an analogous parameter described by a differently derived equation of W. Kleen. A modification of Pierce's method is proposed, which yields an equation of Derfler's type, and also allows quicker and easier calculation of a given traveling wave tube's parameters.

Ricci, P.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Traveling-Wave Membrane Photomixers

Traveling-wave photomixers have superior performance when compared with lumped area photomixers in the 1 to 3 THz frequency range. Their large active area and distributed gain mechanism assure high thermal damage threshold and elimination of the capacitive frequency roll-off. However, the losses experienced by the radio frequency wave traveling along the coplanar strips waveguide (due to underlying semi-infinite GaAs substrate) were a serious drawback. In this paper we present device designs and an experimental setup that make possible the realization of photomixers on membranes which eliminate the losses.

Wyss, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Performance of a small, graphite electrode, multistage depressed collector with a 500-W, continuous wave, 4.8- to 9.6-GHz traveling wave tube

A small, isotropic graphite multistage depressed collector (MDC) and a short permanent magnet refocuser were designed, fabricated, and evaluated in conjunction with a 500-W, continuous-wave (CW), 4.8 to 9.6 GHz traveling wave tube (TWT). A novel performance optimization system and technique were used to optimize the TWT-MDC performance for saturated broad-band operation. The MDC performance was evaluated in both four- and three-stage configurations. Average TWT overall and four-stage collector efficiencies of 43.8 and 82.6 percent, respectively, were obtained for saturated octave-bandwidth operation. The isotropic graphite electrode material performed well, and shows considerable promise. However, considerably more test experience is required before definitive conclusions on its suitability for space and airborne TWT's can be made.

Ramins, Peter↗
NASA NTRS1968

Improved traveling wave maser amplifier

Traveling Wave Maser /TWM/ that operates at S-band frequencies is characterized by a greatly improved gain-bandwidth product with relatively low equivalent-noise temperature. Tests indicate that its performance exceeds that of any other type of S-band amplifier.

Clauss, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Traveling-Wave Tubes

The traveling-wave tube (TWT) is a vacuum device invented in the early 1940's used for amplification at microwave frequencies. Amplification is attained by surrendering kinetic energy from an electron beam to a radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic wave. The demand for vacuum devices has been decreased largely by the advent of solid-state devices. However, although solid state devices have replaced vacuum devices in many areas, there are still many applications such as radar, electronic countermeasures and satellite communications, that require operating characteristics such as high power (Watts to Megawatts), high frequency (below 1 GHz to over 100 GHz) and large bandwidth that only vacuum devices can provide. Vacuum devices are also deemed irreplaceable in the music industry where musicians treasure their tube-based amplifiers claiming that the solid-state and digital counterparts could never provide the same "warmth" (3). The term traveling-wave tube includes both fast-wave and slow-wave devices. This article will concentrate on slow-wave devices as the vast majority of TWTs in operation fall into this category.

Kory, Carol L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Design, fabrication, and performance of brazed, graphite electrode, multistage depressed collectors with 500-W, continuous wave, 4.8- to 9.6-GHz traveling-wave tubes

A small, isotropic graphite electrode, multistage depressed collector (MDC) was designed, fabricated, and evaluated in conjunction with a 500-W, continuous wave (CW), 4.8- to 9.6-GHz traveling-wave tube (TWT). The carbon electrode surfaces were used to improve the TWT overall efficiency by minimizing the secondary electron emission losses in the MDC. The design and fabrication of the brazed graphite MDC assembly are described. The brazing technique, which used copper braze filler metal, is compatible with both vacuum and the more commonly available hydrogen atmosphere brazing furnaces. The TWT and graphite electrode MCC bakeout, processing, and outgassing characteristics were evaluated and found to be comparable to TWT's equipped with copper electrode MDC's. The TWT and MDC performance was optimized for broadband CW operation at saturation. The average radiofrequency (RF), overall, and MDC efficiencies were 14.9, 46.4, and 83.6 percent, respectively, across the octave operating band. A 1500-hr CW test, conducted without the use of an appendage ion pump, showed no gas buildup and excellent stability of the electrode surfaces.

Ramins, Peter↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evaluation of Some Slow-wave Vane Structures for Aminiature Traveling-wave Tube at 30 Ghz

The dispersion characteristics of six vane type slow wave structures were experimentally measured near 1 GHz to determine applicability in an electrostatically focused 30 GHz miniature traveling wave tube (TWT). From the measured results, the trapezoidal vane structure appeared to be the most promising exhibiting an interaction impedance equal to 337.9 ohms at beta(L)/pi equal to 0.3. A 30 GHz trapezoidal vane structure with coupling irises was fabricated using electrical discharge machining (EDM). This structure, however, was too lossy for a short electrostatically focused tube, but several of the structures are amenable to a tube with permanent magnetic focusing.

Kavanagh, Frank↗
NASA NTRS1963

The satellite traveling-wave tube

The traveling-wave tube amplifier described provides a minimum output power of 3.5 watts at 4.0 to 4.2 gc. Design aspects that lead to lifetimes in excess of 10 years and to tube efficiencies between 35 to 40 per cent are discussed. The tube is focused by an improved version of the single-reversal magnetic circuit. Performance data pertinent to this particular satellite operation are shown. Highlights from the final production run and the subsequent life test serve to illustrate the care with which this TWT has been built.

TELSTAR SATELLITE↗
NASA NTRS2012

Theory of a Traveling Wave Feed for a Planar Slot Array Antenna

Planar arrays of waveguide-fed slots have been employed in many radar and remote sensing applications. Such arrays are designed in the standing wave configuration because of high efficiency. Traveling wave arrays can produce greater bandwidth at the expense of efficiency due to power loss in the load or loads. Traveling wave planar slot arrays may be designed with a long feed waveguide consisting of centered-inclined coupling slots. The feed waveguide is terminated in a matched load, and the element spacing in the feed waveguide is chosen to produce a beam squinted from the broadside. The traveling wave planar slot array consists of a long feed waveguide containing resonant-centered inclined coupling slots in the broad wall, coupling power into an array of stacked radiating waveguides orthogonal to it. The radiating waveguides consist of longitudinal offset radiating slots in a standing wave configuration. For the traveling wave feed of a planar slot array, one has to design the tilt angle and length of each coupling slot such that the amplitude and phase of excitation of each radiating waveguide are close to the desired values. The coupling slot spacing is chosen for an appropriate beam squint. Scattering matrix parameters of resonant coupling slots are used in the design process to produce appropriate excitations of radiating waveguides with constraints placed only on amplitudes. Since the radiating slots in each radiating waveguide are designed to produce a certain total admittance, the scattering (S) matrix of each coupling slot is reduced to a 2x2 matrix. Elements of each 2x2 S-matrix and the amount of coupling into the corresponding radiating waveguide are expressed in terms of the element S11. S matrices are converted into transmission (T) matrices, and the T matrices are multiplied to cascade the coupling slots and waveguide sections, starting from the load end and proceeding towards the source. While the use of non-resonant coupling slots may provide an additional degree of freedom in the design, resonant coupling slots simplify the design process. The amplitude of the wave going to the load is set at unity. The S11 parameter, r of the coupling slot closest to the load, is assigned an arbitrary value. A larger value of r will reduce the power dissipated in the load while increasing the reflection coefficient at the input port. It is now possible to obtain the excitation of the radiating waveguide closest to the load and the coefficients of the wave incident and reflected at the input port of this coupling slot. The next coupling slot parameter, r , is chosen to realize the excitation of that radiating waveguide. One continues this process moving towards the source, until all the coupling slot parameters r and hence the S11 parameter of the 4-port coupler, r, are known for each coupling slot. The goal is to produce the desired array aperture distribution in the feed direction. From an interpolation of the computed moment method data for the slot parameters, all the coupling slot tilt angles and lengths are obtained. From the excitations of the radiating waveguides computed from the coupling values, radiating slot parameters may be obtained so as to attain the desired total normalized slot admittances. This process yields the radiating slot parameters, offsets, and lengths. The design is repeated by choosing different values of r for the last coupling slot until the percentage of power dissipated in the load and the input reflection coefficient values are satisfactory. Numerical results computed for the radiation pattern, the tilt angles and lengths of coupling slots, and excitation phases of the radiating waveguides, are presented for an array with uniform amplitude excitation. The design process has been validated using computer simulations. This design procedure is valid for non-uniform amplitude excitations as well.

Rengarajan, Sembiam↗
NASA NTRS1978

Traveling wave tube circuit

A traveling wave tube (TWT) has a slow wave structure (SWS) which is severed into two or more sections. A signal path, connects the end of an SWS section to the beginning of the following SWS section. The signal path comprises an impedance matching coupler (IMC), followed by an isolator, a variable phase shifter, and a second IMC. The aggregate band pass characteristic of the components in the signal path is chosen to reject, or strongly attenuate, all frequencies outside the desired operating frequency range of the TWT and yet pass, with minimal attenuation in the forward direction, all frequencies within the desired operating frequency range. The isolator is chosen to reject, or strongly attenuate, waves, of all frequencies, which propagate in the backward direction. The aggregate phase shift characteristic of the components in the signal path is chosen to apply signal power to the beginning of the following SWS section with the phase angle yielding maximum efficiency.

Connolly, D. J.↗