The application of power electronics to airborne radar systems

For the obvious reasons of reduced size and weight switch mode power conversion systems are preferred over conventional systems for airborne applications. Reliability is achieved by attention to detail during design. Prime power available in aircraft is 28 V DC and 200 V ph-ph, 3 phase, 400 Hz AC. All aircraft have the DC supply with larger aircraft having both AC and DC supplies. Airborne radar applications range from the simple weather radars fitted to commercial aircraft to the pulse Doppler fire control radars fitted to high performance fighter aircraft. Most radars use switch mode power conversion. The principal area of application within a radar system is in the transmitter where considerable quantities of highly regulated power are required for the high power microwave output device. In complex radars the power consumption of the receiver and processor can be such as to warrant switch mode solutions for the power supply. This paper reviews existing and future systems which are dependant on switch mode power conversion. Travelling wave tube based radar transmitters, the spectral purity of the transmitted waveform, and ESCAN radar systems are discussed