Radiation source for microwave pulses and radiation device

Abstract

A radiation source for emitting an electromagnetic HPEM microwave pulse contains a microwave generator for generating the pulse. The generator has a generator opening for outputting the pulse. A horn structure is provided for shaping the pulse. The horn structure has an input opening, which is connected to the generator opening and is intended to radiate in the pulse, and an emission opening for emitting the shaped pulse. The generator contains at least two pulse sources for respectively generating a pulse component. The pulse is the sum of the pulse components. A radiation device contains such a radiation source and a control device for triggering the pulse sources in a temporally synchronized manner for the purpose of respectively emitting a pulse component.

Claims

1. A radiation source for a radiation device, the radiation source for emitting a high-power-electro-magnetic (HPEM) microwave pulse, and the radiation source comprising: a microwave generator including an array of at least two pulse sources, each of said at least two pulse sources configured for generating a pulse component, said microwave generator formed with a generator opening configured for outputting said pulse components of said at least two pulse sources; a horn structure formed with an input opening connected to said generator opening, said horn structure configured to form the HPEM microwave pulse by at least superimposing and shaping said at least two pulse components, said horn structure further having an emission opening configured to directly emit the HPEM microwave pulse out of the radiation source.

2. The radiation source according to claim 1, wherein said microwave generator contains at least one separating wall, wherein respective individual channels are separated from one another by said separating wall, wherein at least one of said pulse sources is contained in each of said respective individual channels, wherein each of said respective individual channels has a respective channel opening for emitting the pulse component from a respective one of said pulse sources.

3. The radiation source according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said respective individual channels has a horn-shaped section.

4. The radiation source according to claim 3, wherein said horn-shaped section adjoins said respective channel opening.

5. The radiation source according to claim 2, wherein said generator opening is formed from a sum of channel openings of said respective individual channels.

6. The radiation source according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said respective individual channels is a cylindrical channel.

7. The radiation source according to claim 1, wherein at least one device selected from the group consisting of said microwave generator and said horn structure includes at least one waveguide for performing at least one function selected from the group consisting of guiding the pulse components, guiding the HPEM microwave pulse, and summing the pulse components.

8. The radiation source according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said pulse sources is disposed in said waveguide.

9. The radiation source according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said microwave generator, said horn structure, or said waveguide, has a square cross section with respect to a central direction of the radiation source.

10. The radiation source according to claim 1, wherein said microwave generator has a continuous interior in which said pulse sources are disposed.

11. The radiation source according to claim 10, wherein said microwave generator has a pot-shaped or box-shaped configuration.

12. The radiation source according to claim 1, wherein each one of said at least two pulse sources includes a device, which is selected from the group consisting of a resonator, an antenna, and a stub, for generating the pulse components.

13. The radiation source according to claim 1, wherein said pulse sources are disposed along a line in said microwave generator.

14. The radiation source according to claim 1, wherein said pulse sources are disposed together in a plane.

15. A radiation device, comprising: a radiation source for emitting a high-power-electro-magnetic (HPEM) microwave pulse, said radiation source including: a microwave generator including an array of at least two pulse sources, each of said at least two pulse sources configured for generating a pulse component, said microwave generator formed with a generator opening configured for outputting said pulse components of said at least two pulse sources, and a horn structure formed with an input opening connected to said generator opening, said horn structure configured to form the HPEM microwave pulse by at least superimposing and shaping the at least two pulse components, said horn structure further having an emission opening configured to directly emit the HPEM microwave pulse out of the radiation source; and a control device for triggering said at least two pulse sources in a temporally synchronized manner for a purpose of respectively emitting the pulse components.

16. The radiation source according to claim 1, wherein said microwave generator does not include a separating wall disposed between any of said at least two pulse sources.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is an illustration of a radiation device with a radiation source during operation in lateral section;

(2) FIG. 2A is an illustration showing an alternative radiation source having four pulse sources in an illustration according to FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 2B is a front view of the alternative radiation source having four pulse sources;

(4) FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the alternative radiation source having eight pulse sources in an illustration according to FIG. 2B; and

(5) FIG. 4A-4C are illustrations showing alternative radiation sources having a plurality of pulse sources wherein in FIG. 4A there are individual channels having horn-shaped sections, in FIG. 4B there are straight individual channels and in FIG. 4C there is a continuous interior, in each case in an illustration according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a radiation device 2 containing a radiation source 4 and a control device 6. The radiation source 4 is used to emit an electromagnetic HPEM microwave pulse 8. FIG. 1 shows the radiation device 2 during operation, in which case the pulse 8 is symbolically indicated in the form of a wavefront. In this case, the pulse 8 is emitted by the radiation source 4 in an emission direction 11. In this case, the emission direction 11 represents a central beam for the pulse 8. The emission direction 11 here runs parallel to the central direction 10—here a straight line or center longitudinal axis—of the radiation device 2.

(7) The radiation source 4 contains a microwave generator 12 for generating the pulse 8. In this case, the generator 12 has a generator opening 14 which is indicated using dashed lines and through which the pulse 8 is emitted from the generator 12 during operation.

(8) The radiation source 4 also contains a horn structure 16 for shaping the pulse 8. The horn structure 16 has an input opening 18 which is connected to the generator opening 14 and coincides with the generator opening 14 in the example. The input opening 18 is used to radiate the pulse 8 into the horn structure 16. The horn structure 16 also has an emission opening 19 which is indicated using dashed lines and is used to emit the shaped pulse 8 from the horn structure 16 and therefore from the radiation source 4. The horn structure consists in this case of four trapezoidal planes which together form a horn having a rectangular cross section which conically widens towards the emission opening 19.

(9) In the example, the generator 12 contains four pulse sources 20a to 20d which together form an array. Each of the pulse sources 20a to 20d is an antenna or a resonator and is used to respectively generate a pulse component 22a to 22d. Each of the pulse components 22a to 22d is likewise symbolized by wavefronts in FIG. 1. The pulse 8 is the sum or superimposition of the pulse components 22a to 22d. The sum is formed by superposing the wavefronts.

(10) In the example, the generator 12 contains four waveguides 24a to 24d. One of the pulse sources 20a to 20d is arranged in each of the waveguides 24a to 24d. The pulse sources 20a to 20d are arranged in the generator 12 as a line array along a line 25, here a straight line. Each of the waveguides 24a to 24d is used to guide one of the pulse components 22a to 22d which are each generated inside the waveguide 24a to 24d. The waveguides 24a to 24d constitute respective individual channels 26a to 26d. The generator 12 contains three separating walls 27 in order to separate the individual channels 26a to 26d from one another. A respective one of the pulse sources 20a to 20d is therefore also arranged or contained in each of the individual channels 26a to 26d. Each individual channel 26a to 26d has a respective channel opening 28a to 28d which is used to emit the respective pulse component 22a to 22d from the respective pulse source 20a to 20d. All individual channels 26a to 26d are cylindrical, here with a rectangular cross section and as straight cylinders with a uniform cross section.

(11) The respective output openings (channel openings 28a to 28d) of the waveguides 24a to 24d open into a further waveguide 24e of the generator 12. This further waveguide also has a straight cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross section. The pulse components 22a to 22d are summed or superimposed to form the pulse 8 in said further waveguide and in the subsequent horn structure 16. The waveguide 24e has the sum of the output openings of the waveguides 24a to 24d as an input opening and has the generator opening 14 as an output opening.

(12) In an alternative point of view, the waveguide 24e will already be considered to be part of the horn structure 16 and no longer belongs to the generator 12. The generator opening 14 and the input opening 18 are then shifted to the “rear” contrary to the emission direction 11 and coincide with the channel openings 28a to 28d. In other words, the sum of the channel openings 28a to 28d forms the generator opening 14 and the input opening 18. This is indicated in brackets in FIG. 1.

(13) Generally, the length L1 of the generator 12 (or partial lengths of the waveguides 24a to 24e) and the length L2 of the horn structure 16 can be varied, inter alia, within the scope of the design or construction or dimensioning of the radiation source 4; also see, in this respect, FIGS. 2A to 4C with explanations.

(14) The control device 6 is used to trigger the pulse sources 20a to 20d in a temporally synchronized manner to respectively emit a pulse component 22a to 22d. The triggering is carried out here in a simultaneous manner, in particular, in order to increase the intensity of the pulse 8 or at different triggering times in a phase-controlled manner in order to vary or tilt the emission direction 10 in the direction of the double-headed arrow 30.

(15) FIG. 2A shows an alternative radiation source 4 which is constructed substantially according to the radiation source 4 from FIG. 1. However, the difference is that the generator 12 has a continuous interior 32, that is to say it does not contain any separating walls 27 and no individual channels 26 are therefore formed. Rather, the generator 12 is in the form of a single waveguide 24a with a channel opening 28a. All four pulse sources 20a to 20d are again arranged in the interior 32 in the form of an array along the line 25 or straight line.

(16) Further design freedoms when designing the radiation source 4 are also illustrated here. The following can be varied:

(17) a) the wall distances D1 (lateral, transverse with respect to the central direction 10) and D2 (in the longitudinal direction or along the central direction 10) between the pulse source 20 and the respective surrounding wall of the generator 12,

(18) b) the distances d between the pulse sources 20,

(19) c) the length L1 of the generator in the central direction 10,

(20) d) the length L2 of the horn structure 16 (in the direction of extent of the wall of the horn structure 16),

(21) e) the number of pulse sources 20 (two to n),

(22) f) the opening angle wb of the side walls of the generator 12,

(23) g) the opening angle wa of the horn structure 16,

(24) h) the width b and height h of the generator 12 and of the waveguide 24a and of the generator opening 14,

(25) i) the width B and height H of the horn structure 16 and of the actual conical horn and of the emission opening 19,

(26) j) the distances between the individual pulse sources and the associated channel opening, and

(27) k) the length of the individual waveguides, but at most L1.

(28) It can be gathered from FIG. 2B, in particular, that both the generator 12 and the horn structure 16 have an angular, here rectangular, cross section with respect to the central direction 10. It can also be seen here that the interior 32 therefore has a box-like design or is in the form of a cuboid.

(29) FIG. 3 shows, by way of example, an alternative radiation source 4 from FIG. 2, but varied in terms of different parameters (B, H, b), in particular the height h of the waveguide 24a and the number of n=eight, instead of n=four, pulse sources 20. In addition, the pulse sources 20 are each arranged in groups of four along lines 25 in FIG. 3 and also in a common plane 36 (symbolically illustrated in FIG. 2A).

(30) FIGS. 4A-4C shows further alternative radiation sources 4 with the following design variations: the horn structure 16 is respectively indicated only in a shortened form. FIG. 4A symbolically shows, for a general number of n (greater than or equal to two) pulse sources 20, respective individual channels 26a to 26n and waveguides 24a to 24n each having a respective horn-shaped section 34 (indicated using dashed lines for the individual channels 26a, 26b) which adjoins the respective channel opening 28a to 28n. In other words, the respective individual channel 26a to 26n ends with a horn-shaped end section (section 34) at the respective channel opening 28a to 28n. The generator opening 14 is again formed as the sum of the channel openings 28a to 28n. The horn structure 16 adjoins the outside sections 34 of the individual channels 26a, 26n in a seamless manner and at the same angle.

(31) FIG. 4B shows a variation with respect to FIG. 4a in which there are no horn-shaped sections 34, but rather the individual channels 26a to 26n are in the form of straight cylinders. The horn is also formed here from a straight section and a conical section, which is why the generator opening 14 and the input opening 18 have been “set back” in comparison with FIG. 4A contrary to the central direction 10.

(32) FIG. 4C shows a variation with respect to FIG. 4B in which the separating walls 27 have been omitted, which is why the result is a continuous interior 32 in which all pulse sources 20 are arranged.

(33) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: 2 Radiation device 4 Radiation source 6 Control device 8 Pulse 10 Central direction 11 Emission direction 12 Generator 14 Generator opening 16 Horn structure 18 Input opening 19 Emission opening 20a to 20n Pulse source 22a to 22d Pulse component 24a to 24n Waveguide 25 Line 26a to 26n Individual channel 27 Separating wall 28a to 28n Channel opening 30 Double-headed arrow 32 Interior 34 Section 36 Plane L1 Length (waveguide/generator) L2 Length (waveguide/horn structure) D1, D2 Wall distance wa, wb Opening angle b, h Width, height (waveguide) B, H Width, height (horn structure)