140-GHz gyrotron with multimegawatt output power

The operational features of a 140-GHz, transverse electric TE_22,6 mode gyrotron oscillator with an advanced quasi-optical mode converter, a Brewster window, and a single-stage depressed collector at 140 GHz with an output power of 2.1 MW and an efficiency of 34% without depressed collector and 53% with depressed collector are presented. The high output power level is possible due to an almost reflectionless termination of the radio frequency (RF) beam line outside the tube. The operation of the TE_22,6 mode gyrotron is described in detail, and the significant features for achieving the high-output power are pointed out     

Long-pulse operation of a 0.5 MW TE10.4 gyrotron at 140GHz

The operation features of a TE_10.4-mode gyrotron oscillator with a quasi-optical mode converter and a single-stage depressed collector at 140 GHz with an output power of 500 kW in long pulses of 0.2 s are presented. Measurements on long-pulse operation of the tube are described in detail, and the significant differences between short- and long-pulse operation concerning efficiency and output power are pointed out. The variation of frequency during a pulse and an irreversible frequency shift during long-pulse operation were measured and are discussed with respect to gyrotron design     

165 GHz, 1.5 MW-coaxial cavity gyrotron with depressed collector

A further step in the development of a coaxial-cavity gyrotron operated in the transverse electric TE_-31,17 mode at 165 GHz is presented. The gyrotron has been equipped with a quasi-optical output system consisting of a Vlasov launcher with a single cut and two mirrors, one with a quasi-elliptic and the other with a nonquadratic phase correcting surface. The radio frequency (RF) power is transmitted through a single output window. A maximum output power of 1.7 MW has been achieved. At the nominal operational parameters an RF power of 1.3 MW with an efficiency of 27.3% has been measured. The efficiency increases to 41% in operation with a single-stage depressed collector     

Experimental study of a gyrotron operated at the second gyrofrequency harmonic with the single-stage energy recovery

We obtain an output efficiency of 60%, which is record-breaking for gyrotrons operated at the second gyrofrequency harmonic, for an output power of 6 kW in the continuous-wave regime. The increase in the efficiency is achieved by using single-stage energy recovery in a gyrotron with an electrically insulated collector. Experimental results confirm the validity of calculation of the electron-beam energy spectra in the gyrotron collector region. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 51, No. 10, pp. 850–854, October 2008.     

Experimental investigation of a 110 GHz/1 MW gyrotron with the one-step depressed collector

The results of experimental investigation of high power gyrotron with depressed collector are given. Total efficiency of a gyrotron with one-step energy recovery of 0.65 at the level of output power about 1 MW was achieved experimentally.     

Towards a 1 MW, 170 GHz gyrotron design for fusion application

The electrical design of different components of 1 MW, 170 GHz gyrotron such as, magnetron injection gun, cylindrical interaction cavity and collector and RF window is presented in this article. Recently, a new project related to the development of 170 GHz, 1 MW gyrotron has been started for the Indian Tokamak. TE_34,10 mode is selected as the operating mode after studied the problem of mode competition. The triode type geometry is selected for the design of magnetron injection gun (MIG) to achieve the required beam parameters. The maximum transverse velocity spread of 3.28% at the velocity ratio of 1.34 is obtained in simulations for a 40 A, 80 kV electron beam. The RF output power of more than 1 MW with 36.5% interaction efficiency without depressed collector is predicted by simulation in single-mode operation at 170 GHz frequency. The simulated single-stage depressed collector of the gyrotron predicted the overall device efficiencies >55%. Due to the very good thermal conductivity and very weak dependency of the dielectric parameters on temperature, PACVD diamond is selected for window design for the transmission of RF power. The in-house developed code MIGSYN and GCOMS are used for initial geometry design of MIG and mode selection respectively. Commercially available simulation tools MAGIC and ANSYS are used for beam–wave interaction and mechanical analysis respectively.     

35-GHz 25-kW CW low-voltage third-harmonic gyrotron

A 50-kV third-harmonic gyrotron is shown to be capable of high efficiency. Operation at the third harmonic allows the required magnetic field for 35 GHz generation to be supplied by a 4.5-kG permanent magnet. Two gyrotrons employing sliced circuits for mode control have been evaluated with a large-signal nonself-consistent particle-tracing simulation code and found to be capable of producing 25 kW continuously. The preliminary design of a third-harmonic TE₄₁ gyrotron utilizing a magnetron injection electron gun is predicted to yield a device efficiency of 17%, which can potentially be increased to 46% with an ideal single-stage depressed collector, while an axis-encircling electron beam from a Cusp electron gun is predicted to drive a third-harmonic TE₃₁ gyrotron with a device efficiency of 23%, which can theoretically be increased to 45% through the use of an ideal depressed collector     

Design of a 1-MW, CW coaxial gyrotron with two gaussian beam outputs

The design of a 170 GHz, 1 MW-CW gyrotron for electron cyclotron heating of nuclear fusion plasmas is presented. The designed gyrotron incorporates a coaxial cavity to reduce mode competition, and a coaxial electron gun to support the cavity inner conductor. A new mode converter splits the generated wave into two beams and radiates them in different directions. The radiated beams are transmitted to two output windows through two mirror systems, being transformed into Gaussian-like beams. A single-stage depressed collector improves the overall efficiency of the gyrotron and reduces the heat flux to the collector surface.     

A 1.5-MW, 140-GHz, TE28,16-coaxial cavity gyrotron

The design of a 1.5-MW, 140-GHz, TE-_28,16-coaxial cavity gyrotron is presented and results of experimental operation are given. A cavity with a cylindrical outer wall and a radially tapered inner rod with longitudinal corrugations was used. A maximum output power of 1.17 MW has been measured in the design mode with an efficiency of 27.2%. Single-mode operation has been found over a wide range of operating parameters. The experimental values agree well with the results of multimode calculations. Frequency-step tuning has been performed between 115.6 and 164.2 GHz. In particular, an output power of 0.9 MW has ben measured in the TE_25,14 mode at 123.0 GHz and 1.16 MW in the TE_32,18 mode at 158.9 GHz. At frequencies its with strong window reflections the parameter range for which stable operation is possible is reduced significantly. In order to obtain results relevant for a technical realization of a continuously operated gyrotron, a tube with a radial radio frequency (RF)-beam output through two output windows and a single-stage depressed collector has been designed and is under fabrication. A two-step mode conversion scheme-TE- _28,16 to Te_+76.2 to TEM₀₀-which generates two narrowly directed (60° at the launcher) output wavebeams has been chosen for a quasioptical (q,o) mode converter system. A conversion efficiency of 94% is expected     

Development of 170 GHz/500 kW gyrotron

A development of 170GHz/500kW level gyrotron was carried out as R&D work of ITER. The oscillation mode is TE_31,8. In a short pulse experiment, the maximum power of 750kW was achieved at 85kV/40A. The efficiency was 22%. In the depressed collector operation, 500kW/36%/50ms was obtained. The maximum efficiency of 40% was obtained at P_RF=470kW whereas the power decrease by the electron trapping was observed. Pulse extension was done up to 10s at P_RF=170kW with the depressed collector operation. The power was limited by the temperature increase of the output window.     

Coaxial cavity gyrotron with dual RF beam output

A 140-GHz, 1.5-MW, TE_28,16-coaxial cavity gyrotron with a dual RF beam output has been designed, built, and tested. For the first time, the generated RF power has been split into two parts and coupled out through two RF output windows in order to reduce the power loading in the windows. The quasioptical output system is based on a two-step mode conversion scheme. First, the cavity mode TE_-28,16 is converted into its degenerate whispering gallery mode TE_+76,2 using a rippled-wall mode converter. Then, this mode is transformed into two TEM₀₀ output wave beams. A maximum rf output power of about 950 kW with an output efficiency of 20% has been measured. According to numerical calculations, an rf power above 1.5 MW is expected to be generated in the cavity. Even if all losses are taken into account, a discrepancy between experiment and calculations remains. The power deficit seems to be partly caused by the influence of the stray radiation captured inside the tube. However, the two main reasons are probably an incomplete mode conversion from TE_-28,16 to TE_+76,2 and a large energy spread of the electron beam due to trapped electrons. An increased amount of captured stray radiation resulted in a reduced stability of operation. A single-stage depressed collector was used successfully, increasing the RF output efficiency from 20% to 29%     

Ka波段分布作用速调管降压收集极设计

为满足无线传能系统对高效率大功率毫米波功率源的迫切需求,开展大功率连续波速调管高效率技术研究,采用降压收集极技术实现速调管在效率上的有效提升。主要介绍了某Ka波段大功率连续波分布作用速调管（EIK）降压收集极的设计方案,包括注-波互作用后废电子能量分布及行为特性的研究,收集极初始条件、结构及电极电压的设计,给出了单级降压收集极和两级降压收集极的设计和计算结果。三维粒子模拟（PIC）计算结果表明,该Ka波段连续波EIK采用单级降压收集极时回收效率为41.0%,采用两级降压收集极时回收效率为68.8%,EIK总管效率相比于未采用降压收集极技术时的27.5%上升至54.8%,表明通过降压收集极技术可有效提升毫米波大功率速调管工作效率。     

A new approach for a multistage depressed collector for gyrotrons

A feasibility study for a two-stage depressed gyrotron collector has been performed. A new approach for an adiabatic magnetic decompression of the hollow electron beam has been used. It permits control of the radius of the constant magnetic flux surface, which determines the radial extension of the electron beam. Independent of the value of the magnetic field around the beam. For this purpose, either solenoidal coils or a ferromagnetic insert can be placed inside the hollow electron beam. Thus, the radial dimensions of a multistage depressed collector of a high-power high-frequency gyrotron can be kept within limits given by technological constraints. The energy sorting of the electron beam is improved by using electrodes inside the hollow electron beam for controlling the potential distribution. The additional control electrodes make it possible to eliminate almost all of the effect of secondary electrons on the operation of the collector. In order to demonstrate the proposed approach, a compact two-stage depressed collector has been designed for a 1.5-MW coaxial cavity gyrotron operating at 165 GHz in the transverse electric (TE)_31,17 mode, which is under development at FZK, Karlsruhe, Germany. Including the effect due to secondary electrons, a collector efficiency of 73% has been calculated with an average and peak heat dissipation density of about 240 W/cm² and 500 W/cm², respectively. This results in an increase of the output gyrotron efficiency from 36.5% to 62.6% when internal radio frequency (RF)-losses inside the gyrotron tube of 15% are taken into account     

Operation of a stable 200-kW second-harmonic gyro-TWT amplifier

The experimental results are reported for a stable second-harmonic gyrotron traveling wave amplifier, which generated a record-breaking 207-kW output power based on the principle that the weaker harmonic interactions are more stable to spontaneous oscillations than at the fundamental, and therefore, capable of generating higher output power. The high-power amplifier was kept completely (zero-drive) stable by employing a mode-selective interaction circuit and web-matched directional input and output couplers, and choosing an amplifier interaction length shorter than the start-oscillation length for gyrotron backward-wave oscillations. The single-stage Ku-band amplifier utilized an 80-kV 20-A υ_⊥/υ_∥=1.1 electron beam from a magnetron injection gun and yielded an efficiency of 12.9%, an output phase variation of 10°/kV, a saturated bandwidth of 2.1%, a large-signal gain of 16 dB, and a detuned small-signal gain of 38 dB     

Experimental investigation of a 140-GHz coaxial gyrotron oscillator

We report experimental results on a megawatt power level, 140-GHz coaxial gyrotron oscillator. The gyrotron has an inverted magnetron injection gun (IMIG) designed for operation at up to 95 kV and 88 A. The IMIG has an inner grounded anode which extends from the center of the gun down through the entire length of the tube including the cavity and collector. The IMIG was tested at up to 105 kV and 93 A in 3 μs pulses, achieving an electron beam power of 10 MW. The output power from the coaxial gyrotron cavity was transported to an internal mode converter and a single mirror that coupled the power out transversely from the tube axis. A maximum output power of up to 1 MW was obtained in the TE_27,11 mode at 142 GHz at an efficiency of 16%, about one half of the design efficiency. The reduced efficiency was attributed to nonuniformity of the cathode emission and the sensitivity to the relative alignment of the electron gun, coaxial insert, and cavity. The cathode emission over the azimuthal angle was measured for two cathodes and was shown to be nonuniform due to both temperature and emitter work function nonuniformity. The gyrotron was also tested in two alternate configurations: 1) with the internal mode converter removed (axial output), and 2) with both the internal converter and the coaxial insert removed (empty cavity). In operation in the empty cavity configuration, which is equivalent to a conventional gyrotron oscillator, output power of up to 0.9 MW was observed     

Feasibility study of the eu home team on a 170GHz 1MW CW gyrotron for ECH on ITER

The gyrotron system forECH and burn control onITER requires at least50MW ofRF power at frequencies near170GHz operating inCW. To meet these requirements, high efficiency gyrotron tubes with 1MW power output capability are necessary, as well as simple coupling to either a quasi-optical or waveguide transmission line. The paper reports the feasibility study on the design of anITER-relevant gyrotron oscillator at170GHz,1MW CW employing a diode electron gun, an advanced internal quasi-optical converter, a cryogenically cooled single disk sapphire window, and a depressed potential collector. The operating mode selection and the cavity design is a compromise between many design constraints.     

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STUDIES OF AN 84 GHz, 500 kW, CW GYROTRON

The feasibility of an 84 GHz, 500 kW, CW gyrotron for ECRH on an experimental tokamak will be presented in this paper. Mode competition and mode selection procedures are carefully investigated by considering various candidate modes and the TE_10,4 mode is chosen as the operating mode. A conventional cylindrical cavity resonator with weak input and output tapers and parabolic roundings is considered for interaction studies. Self-consistent, both single mode and time-dependent, calculations are carried out and power and efficiencies are computed for a typical set of beam parameters. The results show that an output power of well over 500 kW, CW and efficiency around 40% can be reached without a depressed collector.     

A High-Efficiency Second-Harmonic Gyrotron with a Depressed Collector

The gyrotron with an electrically insulated collector has been manufactured and tested. The 60% output efficiency is obtained for the Collector Potential Depression (CPD) operation regime. The results of the numerical simulation of the electron energy spectrum in the collector region of the second-harmonic technological 24 GHz gyrotron are presented. It is shown, that the minimal electron beam energy is about 20% of the initial value and that the gyrotron cavity should be expanded to achieve the highest output efficiency of the gyrotron with energy recovery. The highest experimental decelerating voltage is in good agreement with the calculation of the electron energy spectrum.     

Single-stage depressed collectors for gyrotrons

Two 140 GHz gyrotrons with a single-step depressed collector have been operated. The different position of the isolating collector gap in the stray magnetic field causes the electron motion in the retarding region to be in one case adiabatic and in the other case nonadiabatic. The kind of motion within the retarding field influences strongly the behavior of the gyrotron with a depressed collector. In the case of nonadiabatic motion a significant amount of transverse momentum is given to the electrons reflected at the collector potential. This causes the reflected electrons to be trapped between the magnetic mirror and the collector. The electrons escape from the trap by diffusion across the magnetic field to the body of the tube thus contributing to the body current. Despite the high body current there is no observable influence of the collector voltage on the RF output power. In the case of adiabatic motion the reflected electrons do not gain a sufficient amount of transverse momentum to be trapped by the magnetic mirror. They pass the cavity toward the gun and they are trapped between the negative gun potential and the collector. The interaction with the RF field by electrons traveling through the cavity enhances the diffusion in the velocity space thus enabling the trapped electrons to overcome the potential barrier and escape toward the collector. Therefore the body current stays at low values since in this case the reflected electrons do not contribute to it. However, at higher collector voltages a reduction of RF power occurred and some noise in the electron beam was observed     

Recent results of the 1-MW, 140-GHz, TE22,6-modegyrotron

The TE_22,6-mode gyrotron operated at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe at a frequency of 140 GHz has been investigated with respect to the behavior of different emitter materials, step tunability and reflections of the output beam. Two different materials of an emitter ring, LaB₆ and a coated dispenser cathode, were used to test the features of the gyrotron. The output power was found to be independent from the cathode material, as long as a new emitter ring was used. Aging of the emitter led to a slightly decreased output power. The gyrotron also was operated with a Brewster window. The broad-band characteristics of this window made it possible to measure the neighboring frequencies in a frequency range extending from 114 to 166 GHz. Only a slight dependence of the output power has been found over the whole frequency range. The Brewster window also allows us to investigate the influence of reflections on the output power. A strong decrease of the output power was found even for very small reflections. Tilting the power calorimeter (the reflections were measured to be less than 1%) increased the output power by about 20% to 1.6 MW at an efficiency of 36.2%. With a collector depression voltage of 35 kV for energy recovery, efficiencies of 60% at the above-mentioned output power were obtained