Hybrid Power Combiner Cascade for Broadband High-Power Amplifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power combining techniques, such as tree-structure combiners and distributed amplifiers, face challenges in achieving broad bandwidth and high output power while dealing with the limitations of transmission line widths and impedance matching in high-power applications.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid power combiner that combines current and voltage combining techniques, where a current combiner and a voltage combiner are connected in cascade, allowing for the combination of output currents and voltages from multiple power cells without the need for transmission lines with low characteristic impedances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If tree-structure power combiner is used for current combining, then narrowband performance is improved, but bandwidth is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges current combining and voltage combining techniques into a hybrid power combiner architecture. The current combiner section combines currents from multiple power cells, while the voltage combiner section combines voltages, achieving both narrowband performance and broad bandwidth operation simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If distributed amplifier with uniform transmission lines is used, then broadband performance is improved, but output power is limited due to transistor gain decrease at high frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid power combiner combines multiple power cells through both current and voltage combining mechanisms. This allows the system to achieve high output power by summing contributions from multiple cells while maintaining broadband operation through the distributed amplifier architecture.
3Loss of energy
If transmission lines with different widths are used to remove resistor Zod, then power dissipation is reduced, but device complexity increases due to nonuniform structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines current and voltage combining in a unified hybrid architecture that naturally handles impedance transformation without requiring complex nonuniform transmission lines or additional resistors. The hybrid structure achieves power dissipation reduction while maintaining design simplicity.
4Productivity
If impedance transformation network is added to match load impedance, then power transfer efficiency is improved, but combiner loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid power combiner integrates impedance transformation functionality within the combined current-voltage structure itself, eliminating the need for separate impedance transformation networks. This reduces the number of additional transmission lines and components, thereby reducing combiner loss while maintaining efficient power transfer.
Data Source
AI summary
A power combiner for combing output powers from multiple power cells included in a power amplifier is disclosed. The power combiner includes a current combiner configured to combine output currents from at least two power cells comprised in the power amplifier and a voltage combiner configured to combine output voltages from at least two power cells included in the power amplifier. The voltage combiner and current combiner are connected in cascade.