MICROWAVE TUBES

OUTLINES
Microwave tubes:
• Klystron.
 Types
 Principle of operations
 Applications
 Advantages of each type over the other.
• Travelling wave tube
 principle of operation
 Applications
 Advantages over the other types of microwaves
• Magnetrons
 Principle of operations
 Types of magnetrons
 Applications of magnetrons
 Distinctive features as compared to the other tubes
KLYSTRON

 What is a klystron Amplifier?

Is a device used to amplify microwave frequency signals that reach high
stages of power gain by applying the principles of the vacuum tube as well as the
electron bunching concept.
 The UHF region range of klystron amplifier ranges from 300 MHz-3 GHz.
These can be applied in different types of industries like satellite,
TV broadcasting ,medical, radar, particle accelerators etc.
Types of Klystron Amplifiers

 A klystron amplifier includes one or more cavities which play controll

ing the electrical field in the region of the axis of the klystron tube.
 These are categorized into two types depending on the cavities whi
ch include the following.
• Two-cavity klystron amplifier
• Reflex klystron amplifier
Two-cavity Klystron Amplifier

 These types of Cavity Klystron Amplifiers include various cavities

used for controlling the electrical field in the region of the axis of the
klystron tube.
 A network is arranged in the hub of multi cavities to let the flow of
electrons.
Reflex Klystron Amplifier

 Reflex klystron it is a low power tube and works as an oscillator.

 This amplifier is mainly used as an oscillator within a modulator of ra

dar receivers as well as microwave transmitters. However, these de
vices are substituted with semiconductor microwave devices .
The working of Klystron can be done by the following steps.

• When switch on the circuit the electrons starts emitting from the cat
hode. These electrons at uniform speed toward the anode until they
attracted by it.
• Then the RF input signal is applied to the buncher cavity with the he
lp of loop coupling.
• Negative charge is develop and the speed of electron will be reduce
d between the cathode and cavity. Result the electron will be formed
near the buncher cavity .
• Now this buncher will move toward the anode . The speed of electro
ns will increase from the previous condition.
• Then will get an amplified out from the catcher cavity.
Klystron Amplifiers Applications

The klystron amplifiers applications include the following.

• Involve in satellite, high-energy physics, wideband high-power
communication , radar, medical, particle accelerators, etc.
• At present, GRC (Global Resource Corporation) is utilizing these
amplifiers for converting the hydrocarbons in each day materials,
waste of automotive, coal,diesel fuel, oil sands, oil shale, etc.
• Produce far superior outputs of microwave power.
• Amplification of microwave length of frequencies.
Difference between Two Cavity Klystron and Reflex
Klystron
 The two-cavity klystron is the simplest klystron tube.
• It includes two microwave cavity resonators namely the buncher
and the catcher.
• This klystron can be used as an amplifier.
 Reflex klystron is a single cavity apparatus.
• Is utilized as an oscillator.
• The name of this klystron is taken due to its reflex act of electron
beam.
• This klystron is totally dissimilar from cavity klystron because it has
a single cavity and used for modulation otherwise demodulation.
 TRAVELLING WAVE TUBE

 Travelling wave tube

Is a specialized vacuum tube that is used in electronics to amplify radio frequenc
y (RF) signals in the microwave range

 Travelling wave tube belongs to a category of linear beam tubes, such as klystron,
in which the radio wave is amplified by absorbing power from a beam of electrons as
is passes down the tube.
TYPES OF TRAVELLING WAVE TUBE(TWT
)
TYPES

 There are two major category of Travelling wave tube(TWT)

 Helix TWT
 Coupled cavity TWT

• Helix TWT- Is the travelling wave tube in which radio waves interact with the elect
ron beam while travelling down a wire helix which surrounds the beam. These have
wide bandwidth , but output power is limited
to a few hundred watts.

• Coupled cavity TWT- Is the travelling wave tube interacts with the beam in
a series of cavity resonators through the beam passes. These function as nar
rowband power amplifiers.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Principle Of Operation

 The TWT consist of glass tube in which heater ,cathode, frequency electrons and ano
de are located.
A conducting wire is wrapped around the glass envelope to which I/P and O/P are conne
cted.

 The heated cathode is heated at one end of the tube produces a beam of electrons and
is attracted to the collector at the other end of the tube. The input signal is fed at one
end of the tube and an
amplified version of the input signal is taken from the other end.

 When the switch is turned on the circuit the cathode starts the emission of electrons.
The focusing
electrodes focus these electrons in a narrow beam at the centre of the tube. These electro
ns travel
toward the anode and if no signal is applied at the helix then the emitted electrons will be
collected by the anode without any abstraction.
Principle of operation of TWT
 When the Radio Frequency(RF) signal is applied at the input of the helix, the positiv
e half circle
will accelerate the speed of electrons emitted by the cathode and negative cycle will de a
ccelerate
the speed of electrons emitted by the cathode. As the result the electrons will be found in
bunches and it will travel towards the anode within the helix. The volume of bunch will
be stronger and stronger as
the electrons approaches towards the anode end.

Therefore, at the output end of the helix , there will be a strong electric field created by th
e buncher
which will result to produce the amplified output signal.
The magnet is used around the helix in order to produce strong magnetic field which caus
es the
electron beam to remain at the centre.

 The helix is uses as a slow structure because if from input to output we use a straight
wire, then
the speed of electrons through the straight will be more w.r.t to speed of electrons emitte
d from Cathode hence no amplification will take place.
Phase velocity and Gain of TWT

Phase velocity

The amplified output is obtained at the output of TWT. The axial phase velocity V
p is
represented by

Vp=Vc(Pitch/2*pi*r) where
r is the radius of the helix
Vp is the phase velocity
Phase velocity and Gain of TWT
Gain of TWT

G.s.s=A+BCN

A  is the initial loss due to the establishment of the modes on the helix and lies in th
e range from −6 to −9 decibels,
B  is a gain coefficient that accounts for the effect of circuit attenuation and space
charge,
C  is a gain parameter that depends on the impedances of the circuit and the electron
stream, and N is the number of active wavelengths in the tube.
Phase velocity and Gain of TWT
Gain

I0  is the beam current,

V0  is the beam voltage,
L  is the axial length of the helix,
λ0  is the free-space wavelength,
V  is the phase velocity of the wave along the tube, and
c  is the velocity of light
APPLICATIONS OF TWT

 TWTs are used in microwave receivers as a low noise amplifier

 TWTs are also used in wide-band communications links and co-axial cables as repe
ater
amplifiers or intermediate amplifiers to amplify low signals
 TWTs have a long tube life , due to which they are used as power output tubes in
communication satellites.
 Continuous wave high power TWTs are used in Troposcatter links, because of large
power and
large bandwidths, to scatter to large distances.
 TWTs are used in high power pulsed radars and ground based radars
ADVANTAGE OF TWT

 Low cost
 Light weight
 Small size antenna
 High reliability
 Better directivity
 Large bandwidth
 Lower power consumption
 Effect of fading
WHAT IS MAGNETRON

MAGNETRON

• The magnetron is a high power vaccums tube and that works as self-excited
oscillator.
• This is a multi cavity device that could be utilized for radar transmitter.
• Works with fix frequency constructively. once construction is fixed it is freque
ncy can not change.
Types of magnetron
1. split-anode magnetron
2. cyclotron frequency magnetron
3. travelling wave magnetron
Types of magnetron

• split-anode magnetron
 use static negative resistance between two segments of the anode. And because of thi
s the efficiency of these type of oscillators is low and these are useful below microwa
ve frequency.
• cyclotron frequency magnetron
 operates under the influence of synchronization between the electric field and the osc
illation of electrons parallel to the electric field. And these type of magnetrons have l
ow efficiency and they can produce low output powers only
• travelling wave magnetron
 there is a interaction of electrons with electromagnetic field. Travelling wave structur
es they can produce high output powers and they have better efficiency as compared t
o the other two. And there are many types of travelling wave magnetrons such as cyli
ndrical magnetron, linear magnetron, coaxial magnetron and voltage-tunable magnetr
on, inverted coaxial magnetron and frequency-agile magnetron.
Principles of Operations of magnetron
Principles of Operations
Principles of Operations of magnetron

Principles of Operations

• High negative potential at cathode is created with high voltage dc power.

• Cathode emits electrons; path depends on strength and direction of magnetic and elec
tric fields.
• The magnetic fields causes the electrons to get attracted towards positive anode.
• Then they sweep past the openings of the cavities which are open along their length.
• Then these electrons high frequency radio field in the cavity due to which electrons g
et bunched to each other.
• Then this output coupling loop which turns connected to wave guide or antenna depe
nding on the output requirement.
Applications of magnetron

Applications

• Used in Radar transmitter.

• Used in Industrial heating.
Ex: Microwave oven.
Standard power = 60 watt
frequency= 915 MHz or 2450 MHz
• Used as sulphur lamp.
Features of magnetron tube.

MAGNETRON

• Fixed tube magnetron provides 600 watts.

• Peak power: up to 40MWatt with DC voltage of 50kv at 10GHz.
• Average power: 800KWatt
• Efficiency: 40 to 80%