Simulation study demonstrates an 80% weight reduction and 87.2% efficiency in collectors for space travelling wave tubes, suggesting substantially reduced satellite launch costs.
In order to reduce the size and weight of space travelling wave tubes (TWTs), a miniature multistage depressed collector (MDC) has been designed with innovative electrode geometry modification. Additionally, the collector adapter has been replaced with a non-magnetic material, thereby enabling the optimised leakage magnetic field to enter the collector region from the beam refocusing section. Furthermore, the inter-electrode spacing has been minimised, and different electrode materials have been systematically investigated to optimise collector performance. With these modifications, the simulated miniature MDC design results in a remarkable 80% weight reduction, a 60% reduction in diameter, and a 55% reduction in length, while yielding a high collector efficiency of 87.2% with an increase of 7%. These significant reductions in size and weight, coupled with notable improvement in collector efficiency, may collectively contribute to a substantial decrease in the overall launch cost of a communication satellite.
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Latha et al. (2026) studied this question.
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