Seventy percent efficient Ku-band and C-band traveling wave tubes for satellite communications

Abstract

Boeing Electron Dynamic Devices, Inc. offers fully qualified, production-ready Ku-band and C-band TWTs for space communications with demonstrated efficiencies exceeding 70%. The C-band 8555HX is a 30-100 W class TWT that has been qualified in a conduction-cooled package with a mass of 790 grams (no leads). The 8555HX performs at better than 70% efficiency across 300 MHz. The Ku-band model, 88150HX, is a 100-150 W class TWT which is qualified in a radiation-cooled package. The first two 88150HX builds both performed at better than 70% efficiency across a 1 GHz operating band. These efficiency improvements are only intended as a stepping stone on the way to better performance.