Electron Tube Support Rods with Conductive Dielectric Coatings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electron tubes have limited bandwidth, which restricts their application in wireless communication and radar systems, necessitating a broader frequency range to enhance data transmission and reduce system costs and maintenance time.
Innovation Solution
The electron tube design incorporates support rods with a conductive material coating on the inner shell contact and a dielectric material coating on the helix contact, featuring varying widths of the conductive material along the rod's length to reduce phase velocity variation and eliminate the need for vanes, thereby broadening the bandwidth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vanes are added inside the shell to broaden bandwidth, then bandwidth is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the support rod function with the phase velocity control function by coating the support rods with conductive and dielectric materials. This integration eliminates the need for separate vanes while achieving the same bandwidth broadening effect, directly resolving the contradiction between bandwidth improvement and device complexity reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The support rods are designed to serve multiple functions: mechanical support for the helix and control of RF signal phase velocity. By making the support rods multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for additional vanes, thereby broadening bandwidth without increasing device complexity
2Speed
If support rods are made fully conductive to control phase velocity, then phase velocity control is improved, but harmful factors increase due to RF signal shorting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the support rod: conductive material coating where RF signal control is needed and dielectric material coating where electrical isolation is required. This local differentiation allows phase velocity control while preventing RF signal shorting to the shell
Solution Approach 2:
The support rods use composite material coating combining conductive and dielectric materials. The conductive portion controls phase velocity by interacting with the RF signal, while the dielectric portion provides electrical isolation, thus achieving both phase velocity control and preventing harmful shorting effects
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform support rod coating is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but phase velocity variation increases reducing bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric coating distribution on the support rods, with different coating types (conductive vs. dielectric) applied to different sections. This asymmetric design optimizes phase velocity control characteristics to reduce variation and broaden bandwidth, while still maintaining manufacturing feasibility through a systematic coating process
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 configuration stabilizes phase velocity over a wider frequency range, allowing for increased bandwidth without reducing gain, thus enabling more efficient RF signal amplification and reducing the need for multiple electron tubes across a frequency range.
Implementation Method 1
a part of each support rod that is in contact with an inner wall of the shell is covered with a conductive material, another part of each support rod that is in contact with the helix is covered with a dielectric material
Implementation Method 2
The vanes 23 reduce variation in coupling impedance between an RF signal and electron beam 50 relative to frequency and also reduce variation in phase velocity of the RF signal
Implementation Method 3
helix 20 used as a circuit that makes electron beam 50 formed by the electrons emitted from electron gun 10 and an RF signal that interact with each other
Implementation Method 4
Electrons emitted from electron gun 10, while forming electron beam 50, is accelerated by a difference in potential between cathode electrode 11 and anode electrode 40
Data Source
AI summary
An electron tube includes a shell that encloses a helix inside, and a plurality of support rods that support and fix the helix inside the shell, a part of each support rod that is in contact with an inner wall of the shell being covered with a conductive material, another part of each support rod that is in contact with the helix being covered with a dielectric material. The widths of conductive material of one end and another end of each support rod in a longitudinal direction are different, the side surface not being in contact with the shell nor the helix.