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US 4,027,255 AGranted
Fast recovery time receiver protector for radars
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsHerbert K. Blakeney, Harry Goldie, Ronald W. Savoie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The subject of the invention is a waveguide-type, multi-stage, receiver protector. It combines the use of all-chlorine gas discharge stages and a radioactive primer discharge stage having a semi-inert gas medium in a way to retain the protection benefits of the radioactive primer device, while providing the fast recovery time of the chlorine stages. The apparatus includes an r.f. limiting diode section which aids in attaining the combined benefits of the other two types of stages.
Claims11
A multiple-stage passive receiver protector for protecting a radar receiver from signals of the radar transmitter, said receiver protector comprising:
- (a) a waveguide having a predetermined center frequency characteristic .lambda..sub.g, and having an r.f. energy input end and an r.f. energy output end,
- (b) at least one halogen gas discharge stage disposed at a position in the r.f. energy input end of the waveguide, said halogen gas discharge stage having a short recovery period to permit the r.f. energy signals to pass to the receiver after the transmitter signal terminates,
- (c) a rapid start-up gas discharge stage having a gas chamber including a metallic structure with a radioactive priming substance said rapid start-up gas discharge stage also including a semi-inert gaseous medium for protective immersion of the metallic structure therein, said rapid gas discharge stage being disposed at another position of the waveguide separated from said halogen gas discharge stage by a distance substantially equal to (2N+1) .lambda..sub.g /4 where N is an integral number, said rapid start-up gas discharge stage having a sustaining threshold below the extinguishing power capability of said halogen gas discharge stage, said rapid start-up gas discharge stage having the characteristic of firing to protect the receiver from initial signals from the radar transmitter, and
- (d) a first diode power limiter disposed in the waveguide in the direction of r.f. energy flow from said rapid gas discharge stage and spaced therefrom by a distance substantially equal to N.lambda..sub.g /2, said first diode power limiter being operative to reflect a null back to said rapid gas discharge stage to cooperate with the operation of the rapid start-up gas discharge stage to cause it to effectively require a higher firing threshold than its normal firing threshold after an initial period following the action of r.f. power upon the first diode power limiter.
1 more element
A multiple stage receiver protector comprising:
- a waveguide having a predetermined wavelength at the nominal center frequency, and having an r.f. energy input end and an r.f. energy output end;
- at least one halogen gas stage disposed in the r.f. energy input end of the waveguide for limiting the power of the r.f. energy input signal to a predetermined level after achieving a steady state condition;
- a tritium primed stage disposed in the waveguide at a distance from said halogen gas stage which is substantially an odd integral multiple of one-quarter of the predetermined wavelength at the nominal center frequency, in which the tritium primed stage provides power limiting of the r.f. input signal at power levels above a predetermined threshold;
- and
- a first diode power limiter disposed in the waveguide at a distance from said tritium primed stage which is substantially an integral multiple of one-half of the predetermined wavelength at the nominal center frequency, said first diode power limiter being operative to desensitize the tritium primed stage by providing a null condition in the r.f. signal at the location of the tritium primed stage such that the r.f. signal power which is required to provide the predetermined threshold necessary to sustain the tritium primed stage, exceeds the predetermined level of the output power of the halogen gas stage under steady state conditions whereby the power limiting of the tritium primed stage is extinguished when the halogen gas stage achieves a steady state condition.
2 more elements
A multiple stage receiver protector comprising:
- a waveguide having a predetermined wavelength at the nominal center frequency, and having an r.f. energy input end and an r.f. energy output end;
- at least one halogen gas stage disposed in the r.f. energy input end of the waveguide for limiting the power of the r.f. energy input signal to a predetermined level after achieving a steady state condition;
- a tritium primed stage disposed in the waveguide at a distance from said halogen gas stage which is substantially one-quarter of the predetermined wavelength at the nominal center frequency, in which the tritium primed stage provides power limiting of the r.f. input signal at power levels above a predetermined threshold;
- and
- a first diode power limiter disposed in the waveguide at a distance from said tritium primed stage which is substantially one-half of the predetermined wavelength at the nominal center frequency, said first diode power limiter being operative to desensitize the tritium primed stage by providing a null condition in the r.f. signal at the location of the tritium primed stage such that the r.f. signal power which is required to provide the predetermined threshold necessary to sustain the tritium primed stage, exceeds the predetermined level of the output power of the halogen gas stage under steady state conditions whereby the power limiting of the tritium primed stage is extinguished when the halogen gas stage achieves a steady state condition.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.