8/3/2015

RadarBasicsKlystronAmplifier

RadarBasics
KlystronAmplifier
Klystronamplifiersarehighpowermicrowavevacuumtubes.Klystronsarevelocitymodulatedtubes
thatareusedinsomeradarequipmentsasamplifiers.Klystronsmakeuseofthetransittimeeffectby
varyingthevelocityofanelectronbeam.Aklystronusesoneormorespecialcavities,whichmodulate
theelectricfieldaroundtheaxisthetube.
Duetothenumberoftheresonantcavitiesklystronsaredividedupinto:
MulticavityPowerKlystrons
RepellerKlystron

driftspace

kathode

Buncher
Catcher
cavity
cavity
densityofelectrons
collector

filament
anode

electronbeam

microwaveinput

coupling
loop

microwaveoutput

Figure1:modeofoperationofaklystron

TwoCavityKlystron
Aklystronusesspecialcavitieswhichmodulatetheelectricfieldaroundtheaxisthetube.Inthemiddleofthesecavities,thereisagridallowingthe
electronstopass.Thefirstcavitytogetherwiththefirstcouplingdeviceiscalledabuncher,whilethesecondcavitywithitscouplingdeviceiscalled
acatcher.
Thedirectionofthefieldchangeswiththefrequencyofthebunchercavity.Thesechangesalternatelyaccelerateanddeceleratetheelectronsofthe
beampassingthroughthegrids.Theareabeyondthebunchergridsiscalledthedriftspace.Theelectronsformbunchesinthisareawhenthe
acceleratedelectronsovertakethedeceleratedelectrons.
Thefunctionofthecatchercavityistoabsorbenergyfromtheelectronbeam.Thecatchergridsareplacedalongthebeamatapointwherethe
bunchesarefullyformed.Thelocationisdeterminedbythetransittimeofthebunchesatthenaturalresonantfrequencyofthecavities(theresonant
frequencyofthecatchercavityisthesameasthebunchercavity).Thecollectorcollecttheenergyoftheelectronbeamandchangeitintoheatand
Xradiation.
Klystronamplification,poweroutput,andefficiencycanbegreatlyimprovedbytheadditionofintermediatecavitiesbetweentheinputandoutput
cavitiesofthebasicklystron.Additionalcavitiesservetovelocitymodulatetheelectronbeamandproduceanincreaseintheenergyavailableatthe
output.
RepellerKlystron
Anothertubebasedonvelocitymodulation,andusedtogeneratemicrowaveenergy,isthereflexklystron(repeller
klystron).Thereflexklystroncontainsareflectorplate,referredtoastherepeller,insteadoftheoutputcavityusedin
othertypesofklystrons.Theelectronbeamismodulatedasitwasintheothertypesofklystronsbypassingitthrough
anoscillatingresonantcavity,butherethesimilarityends.Thefeedbackrequiredtomaintainoscillationswithinthe
cavityisobtainedbyreversingthebeamandsendingitbackthroughthecavity.Theelectronsinthebeamarevelocity
modulatedbeforethebeampassesthroughthecavitythesecondtimeandwillgiveuptheenergyrequiredtomaintain
oscillations.Theelectronbeamisturnedaroundbyanegativelychargedelectrodethatrepelsthebeam(repeller).
Thistypeofklystronoscillatoriscalledareflexklystronbecauseofthereflexactionoftheelectronbeam.
Threepowersourcesarerequiredforreflexklystronoperation:
1. filamentpower,
2. positiveresonatorvoltage(oftenreferredtoasbeamvoltage)usedtoacceleratetheelectronsthroughthegrid
gapoftheresonantcavity,and
3. negativerepellervoltageusedtoturntheelectronbeamaround.
Theelectronsarefocusedintoabeambytheelectrostaticfieldssetupbytheresonatorpotential(U2)inthebodyofthe
tube.
Theaccompanyinggraphicshowsacircuitdiagramwitharepellerklystronusingasocalleddoghnutshapedcavity
resonator.

electronsshot
throughholes

resonant
cavity

cathode
coaxialline
withpickuploop

Figure2:Cavityofarepeller
klystron
repeller
reflection
room
pickuploop

resonant
cavity

accelerating
grid
cathode

Figure3:circuitdiagramwitha
repellerklystron

http://www.radartutorial.eu/08.transmitters/Klystron.en.html

1/1