Tapered Waveguide Combiner for High-Power RF Signal Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RF power combiners/dividers face limitations in achieving high power handling due to the constraints of coaxial transmission line dimensions, which restrict peak and average power levels and result in high loss and component failure.
Innovation Solution
A combiner/divider design featuring a transition waveguide between input/output waveguides and an output/input waveguide, where the input/output waveguides are stacked in a radial sector and taper in height, allowing for efficient combination or division of high-power signals with low loss, and enabling peak power handling orders of magnitude greater than traditional designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coaxial transmission line is used to combine high-power signals, then amplitude and phase balance is achieved, but peak and average power levels are limited due to cross-sectional dimension constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the coaxial transmission line from the system, replacing it with a waveguide-based combining structure. This eliminates the fundamental dimension constraint of coaxial lines while maintaining signal combining functionality through waveguide transitions and radial waveguide geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameters by transitioning from coaxial TEM mode to waveguide modes. This allows the structure to handle higher power levels by changing the electromagnetic mode and structural geometry, thereby increasing the power handling capability while maintaining combining efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If coaxial transmission line cross-sectional dimensions are reduced to maintain TEM mode, then higher order modes are suppressed, but power handling capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the coaxial transmission line entirely and replaces it with a waveguide structure. This extraction eliminates the inherent limitation where smaller dimensions are needed to suppress higher order modes, as waveguides can support higher power levels in their fundamental modes without the same dimensional constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite waveguide structure that integrates radial waveguide sections with standard waveguide transitions. This composite geometry allows the structure to maintain mode purity through careful design of the radial sector angle and transition regions, while simultaneously achieving high power handling through the waveguide's inherent capability.
3Productivity
If radial waveguide to coaxial transmission line transition is used, then signal combining is achieved, but loss increases and component failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the coaxial transmission line section from the signal path, eliminating the associated losses. By using waveguide-to-waveguide transitions throughout, the structure achieves signal combining without the impedance mismatches and higher losses inherent in coaxial sections, thereby reducing overall transmission loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal waveguide-based structure that performs both signal combining and power handling functions. By using waveguide transitions and radial waveguide geometry throughout, the structure achieves multi-functionality without requiring separate coaxial sections, thereby reducing loss and improving reliability.
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
The design achieves high output power levels with reduced loss and component failure risk, allowing for efficient combination or division of RF signals, and can operate as both a combiner and divider with flexible port configurations.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of input waveguides are stacked in their E-Planes within a radial sector and taper down in height from their input ports... where the signals from all of the input waveguides are added to produce extremely high output power
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A combiner/divider (10) includes a transition waveguide (16) interposed between a plurality of input/output waveguides (12) and an output/input waveguide (14). The input/output waveguides are preferably distributed in a radial sector (18) extending in the E-plane of the input/output waveguides. The input/output waveguides extend from inner nodes (44) disposed proximate to and spaced from a sector center (24) to outer nodes (32) disposed along an arc (30) of the sector. At least some of the input/output waveguides taper in size from the inner nodes to the outer nodes. Walls (50) between adjacent input/output waveguides also may taper in width (T) between the inner nodes and the outer nodes. The output/input waveguide has an inner port (56) facing and spaced from the inner nodes of the input/output waveguides. The transition waveguide extends between the input/output waveguides and the output/input waveguide and has side walls (20, 22) extending along the radii (26, 28) of the sector for communicatively coupling the output/input waveguide with input/output waveguides.