Time Folding Power Combining Circuits for High Peak RF Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current RF power combining techniques face challenges such as high heat generation, increased cooling requirements, and design complexity, which limit the peak output power and efficiency of RF systems, particularly in high-power applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of time folding power combining circuits, which convert continuous wave signals into pulsed wave signals by segmenting and aligning time slots, allowing for the combination of signals to produce a pulsed wave with increased peak power, thereby reducing the output power specification requirements for RF amplifiers and enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If corporate power combining architecture is used to increase output power, then the number of devices can be increased, but the loss per combiner adds up quickly leading to increased power consumption and heat generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous wave signal into multiple time slots using a switch, creating pulsed signals that are then combined. This temporal segmentation allows multiple signals to be combined without requiring multiple simultaneous combiners, reducing the cumulative loss associated with corporate combining architecture.
2Power
If high-power RF amplifiers are used to increase output power, then the desired power level is achieved, but a considerable percentage of input DC power is converted to heat requiring increased cooling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic switching to generate pulsed output signals instead of continuous high-power amplification. By switching the amplifier between on and off states at controlled intervals, the system achieves high peak power during the on-state while minimizing heat generation during the off-state, thereby reducing overall thermal load and cooling requirements.
3Loss of energy
If radial combiners are used to reduce losses and improve bandwidth, then combining efficiency is improved, but the devices become very large and bulky limiting their use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from spatial combining (radial combiners that require large physical area) to temporal combining (time-division multiplexing). By combining signals in the time domain rather than space domain, the system achieves efficient power combining without requiring large radial combiner structures, thus reducing device footprint while maintaining low loss and broad bandwidth characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
Time folding power combining circuits convert a continuous wave into a pulsed wave of greater peak power. Such a circuit may comprise: a switch which receives a continuous wave signal as input, and outputs first and second pulsed wave signals along first and second signal paths, respectively, said switch being configured to repeatedly switch connection back and forth between the input and the outputs of the first and second signal paths in a plurality of time frames; a delay line in the second signal path configured to introduce a time delay to the second pulsed wave signal in the second signal path such that the first pulsed wave signal in the first signal path and the time-delayed second pulsed wave signal in the second signal path substantially align in the same time frames; and a combiner, which receives the first pulsed wave signal in the first signal path and the time-delayed pulsed second wave signal in the second signal path as inputs, and combines them into a single combined pulsed wave signal as output.