Re: Waveguide TC

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com>

 >  > There are very high voltage potentials inside waveguide and waveguide
arcs
 >  > are probably the wicked-est arcs I've ever witnessed.  This is the
reason
 >  > high power
 >  > waveguides are usually pumped full of pressurized air or nitrogen.
I've
 >  > worked on transmitters putting out over 1.5 MW of power at S-Band
(3-3.5
 >  > GHz) and you should
 >  > see what these arcs do to the internal portions of the waveguide.
 >  >
 >  > Dan
 >
 > Of course, the damage depends on how much average power is available.
 > Note that every high-power radar system of which I am aware has a
 > "waveguide arc detector" to protect the system from damage from a
 > continuing arc.

 > Ed


Yes, but waveguide arc detectors are almost always placed close to the tube
itself.  Any waveguide arc downstream especially through long-length
flexguide
can be subjected to arcs of long duration causing lots of damage.  In this
case, the only way to detect an arc is through detected reflected power
going back
to the tube or wherever the reverse power couplers are.

Dan