High Efficiency Multiple Beam Klystrons

High efficiency, high power RF sources are required for several societal and environmental applications, including food sterilization, wastewater and water treatment, and remediation of waste products. These issues are currently addressed with chemicals or radioactive materials. This program, if successfully completed, would lead to accelerator systems for these requirements, providing a much safer and environmentally sustainable treatment approach. Higher efficiency RF sources would also find applications in high energy physics research, industrial heating, communications, and defense system. Calabazas Creek Research Inc. (CCR) investigated multiple beam technology combined with advanced circuit design technologies to increase both output power and efficiency. Multiple beams allow significant increases in output power without increasing the operating voltage, which is a major cost driver. The advanced design approaches allow significant increases in efficiency with modest changes to the mechanical configuration. In Phase I program combined multiple beam and advanced circuit technologies to design a 200 kW CW klystron with an estimated interaction efficiency of 80%. The program also generated preliminary designs for the collector, output window, and focusing solenoid. All goals were achieved, and an innovative, robust, and manufacturable design was demonstrated. The Phase I design will be optimized, and a prototype multiple beam klystron capable of producing 200 kW of average power at 80% efficiency will be built and tested. This klystron will be targets for driving accelerators for sterilization, and wastewater and water treatment. This is projected to be a $301B market by 2030. The klystron will also be applicable for industrial heating, scientific accelerators, and defense applications.