ESA qualified EPC for telecommunication satellites TWTA

In the frame of an ESA contract, Alcatel ETCA has developed and qualified a new generation medium power EPC (Electronic Power Conditioner) for space TWTA´s (Travelling Wave Tube Amplifier). The major design drivers of this development were low cost, low mass, small size, and high efficiency. The EPC shows high level performances: in particular the mass below 1.35 kg for a fully potted version able to operate at critical pressure and the efficiency exceeding 93% and 94.5 % for respectively the 50 V and 100 V regulated bus versions make the EPC very competitive for the commercial telecommunication satellites market. The EPC is the first ever to be qualified according to the very severe ESA requirements ESA-PSS-02-30 and ESA-PSS-02-303. The qualification sequences are described. Besides the 50 V version developed with ESA, the EPC was then adapted to the 24 to 45 V semi-regulated as well as to the 100 V regulated busses. The EPC design is flexible and is able to supply TWT´s from different manufacturers in the power range 15 to 220 W/sub RF/ These different versions were qualified in the frame of various space programs.