Coaxial Cavity Electron Accelerator RF Power Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electron accelerators are prone to failures due to overheating of high-power vacuum tubes and are costly, especially for high RF power applications, as they require expensive and unique vacuum tubes capable of delivering high RF powers.
Innovation Solution
The electron accelerator design features individual inductive loops spaced apart by an angle alpha not equal to an integer multiple of 90 degrees, allowing for a scalable RF system using multiple lower-power vacuum tubes, reducing the risk of unwanted resonance modes and lowering overall costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a single high-power vacuum tube is used to deliver high RF power, then the accelerator can achieve the required power output, but the system becomes unreliable due to overheating and costly due to expensive unique vacuum tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single high-power vacuum tube system into multiple lower-power vacuum tubes (at least two), each contributing to the total RF power output. This segmentation reduces the thermal load and failure risk on each individual tube while maintaining the required total power output, thereby improving system reliability.
2Power
If a single high-power vacuum tube is used to deliver high RF power, then the accelerator can achieve the required power output, but the cost increases due to expensive unique vacuum tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the high-power requirement into multiple lower-power vacuum tubes. This allows the use of more commonly available, less expensive tubes rather than requiring unique, custom-built high-power tubes, thereby reducing the overall cost while maintaining the required RF power output.
3Device complexity
If inductive loops are spaced at integer multiples of 90 degrees, then the cavity configuration is simple and symmetric, but unwanted resonance modes are excited which degrade accelerator performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetry in the angular positioning of inductive loops, specifically spacing them at angles that are not integer multiples of 90 degrees. This asymmetric configuration prevents the excitation of unwanted resonance modes that would otherwise occur with symmetric spacing, thereby maintaining accelerator performance while accepting slightly increased configuration complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances the reliability and cost-effectiveness of electron accelerators by minimizing unwanted resonance modes and enabling the use of lower-cost, more commonly available vacuum tubes, while maintaining performance and scalability.
Implementation Method 1
each final power amplifier being separately coupled to the cavity (10) through an individual inductive loop (55)
Implementation Method 2
an RF system adapted to generate a resonant transverse electric field into the resonant cavity for accelerating the electrons
Implementation Method 3
deflecting magnets for bending back the electron beam emerging from the outer cylindrical conductor and for redirecting the beam towards the axis A
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
Electron accelerator (100) of the re-circulating type, sometimes also called a Rhodotron®, comprising a resonant coaxial cavity (10) presenting an outer cylindrical conductor (11) of axis A and a coaxial inner cylindrical conductor (12), an electron gun (20) for injecting electrons (40) into the cavity following a radial direction and into a median plane (MP) of the cavity (10), an RF system (50) for generating a transverse electric field into the cavity which is capable of accelerating the injected electrons (40) following a trajectory into the median plane (MP) which has the shape of a flower centered on the axis A, deflecting magnets (30) disposed into the median plane (MP) externally to- and around the cavity (10) for redirecting electrons (40) emerging from the outer cylindrical conductor (11) back towards the axis A. The RF system comprises a plurality of final power amplifiers (FPA1, FPA2, ... , FPAn), each said amplifier being directly coupled to the cavity (10) through its own individual inductive link (55), thereby improving the robustness of the accelerator.