Beverly Microwave Division

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TWT Theory of Operation

A TWT performs as a wideband microwave amplifi- IThe delay line slows the rf wave down to the veloci-
er. This wideband amplification feature is obtained ty of practical beams. This line is constructed so
by the use of an interaction circuit which is essen- that the field components are primarily longitudinal
tially a transmission line and does not usually in the vicinity of the beam. If a helix is used as the
contain any resonant delay line, the rf wave actually travels along the
path of the helix, but the beam sees only the much
All TWT's incorporate the basic components shown longer and slower wave components in the longitu-
in Figure 1. These components include an electron dinal direction; that is in traveling around one turn of
gun (composed of a cathode, a control or modulat- the helix, the wave proceeds forward only by one
ing grid, and an accelerator), which produces an pitch. The resultant velocity is a fraction of the origi-
electron beam; an rf circuit (delay line), which prop- nal wave velocity.
agates a microwave signal in a manner that permits
interaction between the beam and the signal; an Characteristics of Ring Loop TWTs
attenuator, which isolates the input and output
sections to prevent oscillations; and a collector, Figure 2
which removes the unused beam energy.

Figure 1

The Ring Loop TWT's are best known for an ability

In addition, a magnetic field along the axis of the to amplify microwave signals simultaneously over a
device (not shown) is used to focus the electron radar band of frequencies. A Ring Loop TWT is illus-
stream. Although TWT's may differ widely in size trated schematically in Figure 2, which also shows
and construction, depending on the application, the the power supplies to operate the TWT. This TWT
basic theory of operation is the same for all types. consists of an electron gun (composed of a heater,
cathode, and control anode), a helix (slow-wave
The principle of operation of a TWT is strikingly structure), an attenuator, a collector, and an input
simple. As illustrated here, an electron beam is and an output coupling element
emitted from the cathode and accelerated toward
the collector at the opposite end of the device. The Four sources of power are normally required to
electrons of the beam are surrounded by an rf wave operate a Ring Loop TWT: heater power, regulated
with a strong field component in the direction of the beam power, gain or modulation control power, and
beam travel. If the velocities of the beam and the collector power. The electron beam in some TWT's
wave are nearly the same, interaction takes place. is focused by electrostatic or electromagnetic meth-
ods, and in these situations, a power source is
required to operate the beam focusing device.

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 Beverly Microwave Division
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TWT Theory of Operation, pg. 2

In normal operation, an rf signal introduced at the Ring Loop backward wave amplifiers have very
cathode end of the helix travels along the circumfer- narrow active bandwidths for which gain is possible
ence of the helix at approximately the velocity of but the active bandwidth is voltage tunable. There-
light, although the velocity in the direction of the fore such TWT's were used originally as tunable
beam is reduced by the pitch-to-circumference ratio filters with gain. These had applications in electron-
of the helix. When the voltage on the helix is proper- ic countermeasure systems.
ly adjusted, the velocity of the beam electrons is
made slightly greater than the velocity of the rf Effects of Input Conditions on TWTs
signal. Electrons emitted from the cathode transfer
energy to the rf signal on the helix as the signal Input conditions that affect TWT operation include
velocity modulates the beam on the way to the beam current, drive power, helix voltage, drive
collector. This is known as forward-wave amplifica- frequency, and heater voltage. For a given beam
tion in contrast to TWT's that operate as back- current, the power output of a TWT amplifier is a
ward-wave amplifiers. In backward-wave amplifica- function of the rf drive power as shown in Figure 3.
tion, the rf signal is introduced at the collector end of
the helix and travels down the helix in the direction Figure 3
opposite to that of the beam.

Electrons intercepted by the collector of the TWT

are returned to the cathode through an external
collector supply. Resultant helix dc interception is
returned to the cathode through an external over-
load relay and a regulated beam supply. The over-
load relay removes beam power when the helix
current becomes excessive, which protects the
TWT from self-destruction. Modulation in the Ring
Loop TWT is accomplished by applying the carrier
signal to the rf input element and applying the intelli-
gence to the control anode. By this, the TWT is
made to either amplify or phase or pulse modulate
the rf carrier signal, depending on the applied signal
and the TWT parameters. For pulse operation, or The gain is essentially constant at a given frequen-
modulation, a TWT operates at the same helix cy for low rf drive levels, but decreases at higher
voltage as the TWT would operate under cw condi- levels. When the rf electric field becomes too
tions. For a given TWT type, therefore, the peak strong, as a result of either amplification or input
power output can be made larger than the cw power signal, the amount of energy which the beam can
output only by an increase in the beam current. deliver to the wave reaches a maximum limit. This
Different methods of modulating the beam current condition, known as the saturation point of the TWT,
are available. represents the maximum power which can be deliv-
ered for a given condition of beam current. If the
input power is increased beyond the value which

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 Beverly Microwave Division
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TWT Theory of Operation, pg. 3

causes saturation, an actual decrease in power

output results. (An increase in the beam current, of
course, produces a corresponding increase in satu-
ration power and gain.)

Because the gain of a TWT amplifier depends on

beam current, the maximum gain that can be
obtained from a given TWT is limited by the stability
limit, that is, the beam current value at which the
TWT begins to oscillate; the safe emission limit of
the cathode; and the maximum current which can
be focused through the helix without causing exces-
sive current to be intercepted by the helix or other Figure 4
TWT elements and thereby producing overheating.
For high power operation, the TWT must employ use of precision wound couplers and properly
elements which can dissipate the heat created by matched connecting section of coaxial lines or
the rf wave and intercepted beam current. In high waveguides between the couplers and external rf
power TWT amplifiers, therefore, a maximum value connections.
is often specified for helix and collector power dissi-
pation. TWT Cooling
Sufficient cooling must be available at the collector,
Effects of Output Conditions on TWTs electron gun, and body of a TWT to remove heat
The accuracy of the impedance match between the dissipated by these elements and thereby maintain
input and output couples and the helix of a TWT the temperature at a safe operating level. Normally,
determines not only the rf power applied to and a TWT is designed for either water or forced air or
extracted from the helix, but also the power reflect- convection cooling. Most solenoids are designed
ed from the input coupler back to the driving source, for either water or forced-air cooling; however,
the power reflected to the helix by the output some contain Teflon® or silicon insulation and are,
coupler, and the flatness of the gain of the TWT therefore, cooled sufficiently by convection means.
across a band of frequencies.
In using water coolant, a closed circulating system
Normally, TWT coupler are capable of providing is desirable to hold the content of oxygen and
impedance matches with voltage-standing-wave carbon dioxide to a low level. A flow interlock should
ratios (VSWR) of less than 1.5 for a cold match and be used in the closed system to remove all voltages
less than 2 for a hot match. A cold match is with no from the TWT if the water coolant flow falls below a
beam present in the helix, and a hot match is with a nominal pressure level.
beam in the helix. Figure 4, is a chart of the hot and
cold input and output VSWRs for a typical TWT Many low and medium power TWT's use cooling
application. fins or radiators attached to the collector casing to
absorb heat dissipated by the collector. Air is then
Cold-match VSWR's of less than 1.5 over very wide forced across the surfaces of these cooling
frequency bands are achieved in most TWT's by the elements.

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TWT Theory of Operation, pg. 4

Pulse Ring-Loop TWT
The smallest and lightest TWT's for pulsed radar the most adverse conditions encountered in
and most advanced designs for commercial, elec- aircraft, shipboard, and missile environments.
tronic warfare and radar systems use are included
in this CPI product line. TWT's in this group cover CPI's development of the UNIGRID® nonintercept-
1.0 kW to 10 kW peak power (20 kW of peak power ing grid has solved many of the problems of close
is attainable for a Ring Loop TWT), at frequencies spaced shadow gridded TWT's in meeting tempera-
from 1.0 to 9.6 Ghz. ture spaced shadow gridded TWT's in meeting tem-
perature cycling, shock and vibration environmental
This unique ring-loop slow-wave structure used in encountered in military airborne systems. The CPI
these pulsed TWT's provides high gain at kilowatt UNIGRID® attaches the shadow grid directly to the
peak rf power levels without oscillation. TWT's surface of the cathode of the TWT making an
using this structure provide beam efficiencies as integral structure virtually immune to environmental
high as 25 percent without collector depression. problems.
TWT's with collector depression have achieved
greater than 30% efficiency. A ring-loop TWT is a natural filter circuit and there-
fore features very low second harmonic emissions,
All high power pulse TWT's are metal-ceramic low out-of-band emissions, and there are no back-
structures that provide exceptional reliability under ward wave oscillations.

Typical TWTs
Liquid cooled S-Band TWT
collector RF Output
Ion Pump connector

RF Input Cathode and

grid
connectors

Cathode and
grid connections
RF Input

RF Output

Air cooled
L-Band TWT collector

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Pg. 4 CPI Beverly Microwave Division, +1 (978) 922-6000 • FAX: +1 (978) 922-8914 • [email protected] Rev. 10/17