CSIR study shows way to enhance performance of radar, communication systems by 44%

Studies conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have shown that the efficiency of microwave-based applications can be significantly enhanced by modifying the shape of certain components.

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Research undertaken by CSIR’s Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI) has demonstrated that the performance of systems like radar, communication networks and industrial heating equipment can be boosted by 44 per cent when the shape of the anode vanes is changed.

Radars and communication systems have become indispensable across civilian and military domains. A huge amount of power is expended for their functioning and there is constant endeavour to make them more energy efficient and cost effective.  Besides, there is a host of industrial equipment that employ microwaves

Anode vanes are structures made of aluminium or other conductive material and are arranged radially inside the anode, one of the terminals from which current passes in an electrical device. The vanes’ shape and precise dimensions, along with the magnetic field, determine the oscillation frequency of the magnetron.

In simple terms, magnetron is a high-vacuum tube that converts direct-current power into alternating-current power, typically at microwave frequencies, by utilising a constant magnetic field. Magnetrons are used majorly in radar.

During the study, the axial edges of the anode vanes tips facing the cathode, the terminal opposite to the anode, were ‘chamfered’, that is cut at a particular angle to create a symmetrical slope. A comparative analysis of the unchamfered and modified vanes was then carried out for power, efficiency and oscillation spectrum.

The researchers found that power output increased by about 44 percent, reaching 2.3 kilowatts after modification as compared to 1.6 kilowatts earlier and efficiency improved to 80 percent, thereby enhancing operational performance. The Oscillation spectrum also became purer, improving overall stability.

The study has been published by the Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications, a United Kingdom-based peer reviewed publication that covers all aspects of electromagnetic wave theory and its applications.