Antenna, output system

Abstract

It can sometimes be difficult to suppress the constraints required for antennas that emit electromagnetic waves in response to high-voltage pulses. [Solution] The antenna has an outer conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor and an inner conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor formed inside the outer conductor, and the outer conductor and the inner conductor are arranged to form a gap portion which functions as a gap switch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna that outputs electromagnetic waves and an output system.

Background Art

[0002] When radiating electromagnetic waves in response to a high-voltage pulse using an antenna, it is known to use a high-voltage withstand switch such as a gap switch.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an electromagnetic wave generator in which a gap switch operates to radiate electromagnetic waves when the voltage value of a high-voltage pulse reaches a predetermined value. Specifically, according to Patent Document 1, an antenna is arranged downstream of the gap switch. With such a configuration, when the voltage exceeds the predetermined value, the gap switch turns on, and the input of a high-voltage pulse directed to the antenna is started.

[0004] Also, as a related document, for example, there is Patent Document 2. Patent Document 2 describes an electromagnetic wave generator including an antenna composed of two opposing conductor plates, a power source, and a gap switch. According to Patent Document 2, the electromagnetic wave generator is characterized in that the gap switch is interposed between the conductor plates of the antenna and the direction in which the gap of the gap switch is open is parallel to the direction in which the conductor plates of the antenna face each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] As described in Patent Document 1, when an antenna is placed downstream of a gap switch in a configuration separate from the gap switch, the gap switch is sandwiched between the high-voltage pulse generator and the antenna. As a result, the high-voltage pulse generator may need to be designed to take into account the characteristics of the gap switch, and maintainability may be reduced, thus hindering flexible device design. Furthermore, even in the case of the technology described in Patent Document 2, the antenna must consist of two opposing conductive plates, making flexible device design impossible. Thus, a problem has arisen in that it can be difficult to suppress the constraints required for antennas that radiate electromagnetic waves in response to high-voltage pulses.

[0007] Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an antenna and output system that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve this objective, an antenna, which is one form of this disclosure, It has an outer conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor, and an inner conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor formed inside the outer conductor, The outer conductor and the inner conductor are arranged to form a gap that functions as a gap switch. This is the structure it takes.

[0009] Furthermore, an output system, which is another form of this disclosure, A generator that generates high-voltage pulses, An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves in response to the input of a high-voltage pulse generated by the aforementioned generator, It has, The antenna comprises an outer conductor, which is an electrically conductive conductor, and an inner conductor, which is also an electrically conductive conductor formed inside the outer conductor. The outer conductor and the inner conductor are arranged to form a gap that functions as a gap switch. This is the structure it takes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The configuration described above can suppress potential constraints that might be necessary in an antenna that emits electromagnetic waves in response to high-voltage pulses. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an antenna in the first embodiment of this disclosure viewed from the side. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an antenna viewed from the front. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing an example of the output system configuration. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of how the gap length changes. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing an example of an antenna formed as a horn antenna. [Figure 6] This is a side view showing an example of an antenna formed as a horn antenna. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of how to change the gap length. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing an example of an antenna formed as a helical antenna. [Figure 9] This is a side view showing an example of an antenna formed as a helical antenna. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of how to change the gap length. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] [First Embodiment] The first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example when the antenna 100 is viewed from the side. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example when the antenna 100 is viewed from the front. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an output system 200 including the antenna 100. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the gap length. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example when the antenna 100 is formed as a horn antenna. FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example when the antenna 100 is formed as a horn antenna. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example when the gap length is changed. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example when the antenna 100 is formed as a helical antenna. FIG. 9 is a side view showing an example when the antenna 100 is formed as a helical antenna. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example when the gap length is changed.

[0013] In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna 100 having a function as a gap switch will be described. As will be described later, the antenna 100 has an outer conductor 110 and an inner conductor 120. In the antenna 100, a gap switch is formed between the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120 by adjusting the positional relationship between the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120, for example. For example, in the antenna 100, the discharge start voltage of the gap switch, which is a high withstand voltage switch, is adjusted so as to be formed between the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120. Thus, by integrating a function as a high withstand voltage switch such as a gap switch into the antenna 100, the necessity of separately providing a high withstand voltage switch such as a gap switch can be suppressed.

[0014] For example, FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing a configuration example of the antenna 100 in the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, in a side view, a gap portion 130 for functioning as a gap switch is formed between the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120. In other words, in the antenna 100, the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120 are arranged so as to form the gap portion 130. For example, in the case of FIG. 1, the gap portion 130 is formed between the end portion of the inner conductor 120 on the outer conductor 110 side and the outer conductor 110. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer conductor 110 includes a circular portion having a circular shape in a front view as an example, and the inner conductor 120 is arranged to be located at a portion corresponding to the circular portion in a front view. That is, in the cases illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gap portion 130 is formed between the circular portion of the outer conductor 110 and the end portion of the inner conductor 120.

[0015] Here, an example of a configuration used when the antenna 100 described in the present disclosure radiates electromagnetic waves will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of an output system 200 including the antenna 100 described in the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3, the output system 200 can include a power supply device 210, a high-voltage pulse generation device 220, and the antenna 100.

[0016] The high-voltage pulse generation device 220 generates a high-voltage pulse in response to receiving power supply from the power supply device 2l0. For example, the high-voltage pulse generation device 220 can have a NLTL (Non-Linear Transmission Line) including a plurality of non-linear elements such as a saturable reactor in a transmission line. The high-voltage pulse generation device 220 can output a high-frequency high-voltage pulse in response to power supply or the like by using the NLTL or the like.

[0017] In this disclosure, the configuration of the power supply unit 210 and the high-voltage pulse generator 220 is not particularly limited. The power supply unit 210 and the high-voltage pulse generator 220 may be any device. For example, the high-voltage pulse generator 220 may include any configuration such as a semiconductor or electron tube in addition to an NLTL. Furthermore, the high-voltage pulse generator 220 is not limited to using an NLTL, but may generate high-voltage pulses using any oscillator or the like.

[0018] Antenna 100 radiates electromagnetic waves to the outside in response to the input of high-voltage pulses output by the high-voltage pulse generator 220. Antenna 100 also integrates the function of a high-voltage switch, such as a gap switch.

[0019] As described above, the antenna 100 has an outer conductor 110 and an inner conductor 120 formed inside the outer conductor 110. Also, as described above, the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120 are arranged to form a gap 130 that functions as a gap switch.

[0020] The outer conductor 110 is an electrically conductive conductor. The outer conductor 110 is positioned outside the inner conductor 120 in the antenna 100. For example, at least a portion of the outer conductor 110 may be positioned outside the inner conductor 120.

[0021] For example, the outer conductor 110 is an electrically conductive metal such as aluminum. The outer conductor 110 may be made of materials other than those exemplified above.

[0022] Furthermore, the inner conductor 120, like the outer conductor 110, is an electrically conductive conductor. The inner conductor 120 is positioned inside the outer conductor 110 in the antenna 100. For example, at least a portion of the inner conductor 120 may be positioned inside the outer conductor 110.

[0023] For example, the inner conductor 120 is an electrically conductive metal such as brass. In other words, the inner conductor 120 is, for example, made of a metal with lower conductivity than the outer conductor 110. The inner conductor 120 may be made of materials other than those exemplified above.

[0024] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 4, the antenna 100 may have a variable mechanism for adjusting the gap length, which is the length of the gap portion 130, in addition to the outer conductor 110 and inner conductor 120 described above. In other words, the distance between the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120 can be configured to be adjustable. For example, the variable mechanism has a drive source such as an electric motor and moves at least one of the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120 in the left-right direction in Figure 4. For example, in Figure 4, the variable mechanism slides the inner conductor 120. The variable mechanism may also move the outer conductor 110 instead of the inner conductor 120. By using such a variable mechanism, the gap length can be adjusted by moving at least one of the outer conductor 110 or the inner conductor 120, as shown in Figure 4.

[0025] For example, the appropriate gap length may change depending on factors such as atmospheric pressure and humidity. Using the variable mechanism described above, the gap length can be adjusted as needed according to the external environment when the antenna 100 is actually used. Furthermore, by making the gap length variable using the variable mechanism, the power and frequency of the radiated electromagnetic waves can also be varied.

[0026] The above is an example of the configuration of antenna 100. Note that the variable mechanism described above may be provided separately with a configuration different from that of antenna 100.

[0027] Furthermore, the shape of the antenna 100 is not limited to those exemplified in Figures 1 and 2. For example, the antenna 100 may be implemented as one of the following: a horn antenna, a helical antenna, or any other type of antenna.

[0028] Figures 5 and 6 show an example of how antenna 100 can be implemented as a horn antenna. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of antenna 100 when it is implemented as a horn antenna, and Figure 6 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of antenna 100. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, antenna 100 can be implemented by making the horn portion an outer conductor 110 and the core wire passing through the center of the opening surface formed by the horn portion in a front view being an inner conductor 120. For example, the outer conductor 110 that forms the horn portion has a conical horn shape. As an example, the outer conductor 110 that forms the horn portion has a diameter of about 400 mm at the opening surface, and the length from the opening surface to the power supply port side connected to the high-voltage pulse generator 220 is about 150 mm. The inner conductor 120, which is the core wire, has a diameter of about 10 mm and extends to a predetermined location inside the outer conductor 110, which is the horn portion, in a side view.

[0029] In the configuration described above, for example, a gap 130 is formed between the open end of the core wire, which is the inner conductor 120, and the horn portion, which is the outer conductor 110. As mentioned above, the gap length, which is the length of the gap 130, can be adjusted using a variable mechanism. For example, the variable mechanism adjusts the gap length by sliding the position of the outer conductor 110, as shown in Figure 7. Alternatively, the variable mechanism may be configured to slide the position of the inner conductor 120 instead of moving the outer conductor 110, or to slide the position of the inner conductor 120 together with the movement of the outer conductor 110, as described above with reference to Figure 4.

[0030] Furthermore, Figures 8 and 9 show an example of how antenna 100 can be realized as a helical antenna. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of antenna 100 when it is realized as a helical antenna, and Figure 9 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of antenna 100. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, antenna 100 can be realized by making the disc portion located on the feed port side the outer conductor 110 and the spirally wound helical portion the inner conductor 120. For example, the inner conductor 120 is spirally wound around a resin support member with a diameter of about 55 mm. As an example, in Figures 8 and 9, the inner conductor 120 is wound about four times over a length of about 160 mm.

[0031] In the configuration described above, as shown in Figure 10, the distance between the outer conductor 110 and the power supply port end of the spirally wound inner conductor 120 becomes the gap length. Therefore, the variable mechanism can adjust the gap length by sliding the position of the outer conductor 110, which is the disc portion, towards the power supply port side or the opposite side.

[0032] For example, as described above, the antenna 100 can be implemented not only in the shapes exemplified in Figures 1 and 2, but also as a horn antenna, a helical antenna, or the like. The antenna 100 may also be implemented in shapes other than those exemplified above. Furthermore, the dimensions mentioned above are merely examples, and the dimensions of the antenna 100 are not limited to those described above.

[0033] Thus, the antenna 100 has an outer conductor 110 and an inner conductor 120. Furthermore, the outer conductor 110 and the inner conductor 120 are arranged to have a gap portion 130 that functions as a gap switch. With this configuration, the antenna 100 can integrate the function of a high-voltage switch such as a gap switch. As a result, the need to separately provide a high-voltage switch such as a gap switch can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the constraints required for the antenna 100 that radiates electromagnetic waves in response to high-voltage pulses.

[0034] For example, with the above configuration, the function of a gap switch can be integrated into the antenna 100, allowing the high-voltage pulse generator 220 to be designed independently of the high-voltage switch, thus increasing the flexibility of the device design. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the gap section 130, which functions as a high-voltage switch, is exposed to the outside of the device. This makes maintenance and adjustment of the antenna 100 and other components easier. In addition, by combining it with a variable mechanism consisting of a drive source such as an electric motor, it becomes possible to flexibly change the output characteristics. Moreover, with the above configuration, the electric field output when the high-voltage switch is ON is also superimposed, making it possible to increase the output energy near the antenna 100 and broaden the bandwidth of the frequency components.

[0035] Furthermore, the antenna 100 and the output system 200 having the antenna 100 described herein can be applied to various situations in which electromagnetic waves are emitted in response to high-voltage pulses. For example, the antenna 100 and the output system 200 having the antenna 100 may be applied to medical procedures such as cancer treatment, power transmission in space-based solar power generation, and any other situation in which electromagnetic waves are emitted.

[0036] <Note> Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows. The following outlines the antenna and other components of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the following configurations.

[0037] (Note 1) It has an outer conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor, and an inner conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor formed inside the outer conductor, The outer conductor and the inner conductor are arranged to form a gap that functions as a gap switch. antenna. (Note 2) The outer conductor and the end of the inner conductor form the gap portion. The antenna described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The variable mechanism adjusts the gap length, which is the length of the gap, by moving at least one of the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The antenna described in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2. (Note 4) The outer conductor forms the horn portion of the horn antenna. The inner conductor is a core wire that passes through the center of the outer conductor, which is the horn section. The antenna described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 3. (Note 5) The outer conductor forms a disc portion located on the power supply port side, The inner conductor forms a helical portion that is wound in a spiral shape. The antenna described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 3. (Note 6) A generator that generates high-voltage pulses, An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves in response to the input of a high-voltage pulse generated by the aforementioned generator, It has, The antenna comprises an outer conductor, which is an electrically conductive conductor, and an inner conductor, which is also an electrically conductive conductor formed inside the outer conductor. The outer conductor and the inner conductor are arranged to form a gap that functions as a gap switch. Output system.

[0038] Furthermore, some or all of the components described in Appendices 2 to 5, which are subordinate to the antenna described in Appendice 1, may also be subordinate to the output system, etc., described in Appendice 6, through a similar relationship of subordination.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present invention can be made within the scope of the present invention as can be understood by those skilled in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 100 antennas 110 Outer conductor 120 Inner conductor 130 Gap section 200 output system 210 Power supply 220 High-voltage pulse generator

Claims

1. It has an outer conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor, and an inner conductor which is an electrically conductive conductor formed inside the outer conductor, The outer conductor and the inner conductor are arranged to form a gap that functions as a gap switch. antenna.

2. The outer conductor and the end of the inner conductor form the gap portion. The antenna according to claim 1.

3. The variable mechanism adjusts the gap length, which is the length of the gap, by moving at least one of the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The antenna according to claim 1.

4. The outer conductor forms the horn portion of the horn antenna. The inner conductor is a core wire that passes through the center of the outer conductor, which is the horn section. The antenna according to claim 1.

5. The outer conductor forms a disc portion located on the power supply port side, The inner conductor forms a helical portion that is wound in a spiral shape. The antenna according to claim 1.

6. A generator that generates high-voltage pulses, An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves in response to the input of a high-voltage pulse generated by the aforementioned generator, It has, The antenna comprises an outer conductor, which is an electrically conductive conductor, and an inner conductor, which is also an electrically conductive conductor formed inside the outer conductor. The outer conductor and the inner conductor are arranged to form a gap that functions as a gap switch. Output system.

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