High voltage technology for a Traveling Wave Tube Electronic Power Conditioner (TWT-EPC) for a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

A satellite-borne synthetic aperture radar system with an output power of 5 to 20 kW was studied to determine electronic power conditioning (EPC) requirements. The EPC technology is described. The selection of the insulating materials, the test procedures, and switching principles for an emitting amplifier tube are reviewed. The electrical and mechanical load limits and the thermal criteria relative to the aperture width and voltage are presented. The insulating systems and partial discharge in ac and dc were tested, and acceleration tests performed. A power section comprising an inverter, a high voltage transformer and rectifier and a capacitor bank was built and tested in thermal vacuum under various operating conditions. It confirms the reliability of the high voltage technology and its applicability in the design of flight hardware.