Electron Gun Thermal Design, Analysis and Experimental Validation

The goal of this project was to develop a thermal design methodology for electron guns using modern simulation tools. This consists of creating a detailed finite element model which would be able to predict gun thermal characteristics such as heater power required to produce a desired cathode temperature, warm-up characteristics of the gun, temperature distribution of internal components, and thermal expansion of critical gun components. This methodology is now currently being used at L-3 Electron Devices for all types of electron guns, including diode guns, gridded guns, adjustable perveance mini-tube guns, and large, high-power klystron guns