Thermal Analysis of Electron Gun for a Miniature Helix TWT

Abstract

Thermal analysis of a compact miniature electron guns is essential due to the requirement of high reliability in beam performance. The electron gun for the medium power (CW) helix traveling wave tube (TWT) possesses high dimensional sensitivity due to its miniature size and the requirement of tube to tube matching with reference to their gain and phase. Keeping this in view, a detailed thermal analysis including the determination of temperature profile at various electrodes in the vicinity of cathode particularly of beam forming electrode (BFE), anode etc., and thermal drain through cathode support structure have been carried out using ANSYS package. With this package (I) a cathode support with optimum thermal drain and sufficient holding strength has been optimized and (II) thermal expansion of the electron gun electrodes have been computed in order to evaluate the inter-electrode spacings in the hot condition.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

R K Sharma

R K Sharma was born in 1962. He received his MSc (Electronics) degree from Meerut University and MS (Electronics) degree from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS), Pilani in 1985 and 1992 respectively. At present he is pursuing his research work on design and development techniques of Pierce guns for his Doctoral degree from Department of Electronics Engineering, Banaras Hindu Universality (BHU), Varanasi, India. For the last 14 years he has been doing research and development work on microwave tubes in general and helix travelling wave in particular including development of UHV systems for different applications at Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI), Pilani. His current research area of interest includes design and development of Pierce electron guns, computer-aided design and microwave measurements related to microwave tubes, Microwave heating for industrial applications and development of special techniques related to gain and phase matched helix TWTs and TWTs for space applications. He has more than 23 publications to his credit in national and international journals and conferences. Mr Sharma is a life member of professional societies in India like IETE, IFTA, IPA, IVS and member of CSI.

A K Sinha

A K Sinha was born in Bhabua (Bihar) on July 23, 1954. He received BSc (Hons), MSc and PhD degrees from Ranchi University, Ranchi in 1973, 1975, and 1986 respectively. During 1977–1989 he served Regional Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, and Jamshedpur workers College, Jamshedpur. Since June 1989, he has been working in CEERI, Pilani on design and development of microwave tubes. He published more than 60 research paper' in reputed Indian and Foreign journals and conference proceedings. He supervised many MTech and PhD dissertations. He visited University of Lancaster (UK) as “Visiting Research Fellow”. His current area of interests includes broadbanding and modelling of TWTs, gyrotrons, rf windows, electron beam optics and microwave heating applicators. Dr Sinha is a life member of IETE, IVS, IFTA, IPA, and ISCA, and associate member of CSI, India.

S M Sharma

S M Sharma was born in Bareilly (UP) in 1952. He has graduated from Agra Unitrersity, Agra in 1973 and joined CEERI, Pilani in 1978. He has actively been engaged in the development of Carcinotron, Klystron and Helix TWTs. His area of interest includes design and development of microwave tubes and special fabrication techniques. Also he has developed number of UHV systems. He has published number of research papers in journals and conference proceedings. Presently he is working on the development of Gain and Phase matched broad band mini Helix TWT. He is a member of IPA and life member of IFTA.

R K Gupta

R K Gupta for bio-data please refer IETE Technical Review vol 16, nos 5&6, 1999.

S N Joshi

S N Joshi was born October 15, 1946. He received the BSc and MSc (Tech) degrees from University of Allahabad in 1964 and 1967 respectively.

For the last 32 years he has been associated with the design and development of microwave tubes at the Central Electronics Research Institute, Pilani. His past work includes research and development on high-power multicavity magnetrons and helix TWTs. He visited Department of Electronics, Lancaster University, UK during July-Aug 1991 to participate in a joint collaborative programme with them on CAD of Helix TWTs. He had coordinated the activity of entire MW Tubes area of CEERI as its Area Coordinator during Feb 1990 to May 1994 and at present coordinating the Communication Tubes Group of this institute. He is a life-fellow of IETE and life-member of IVS, IFTA and IPA.