Compact radial combiners for broadband high power applications

Multi-way, radio frequency (RF) and microwave power combiners and dividers (splitters) are important components of rapidly developing high power RF and microwave systems used in radars, communication, directed energy, air traffic control, and scientific facilities such as particle accelerators. Several 21-way L-band combiner configurations of a reactive-radial type with enlarged bandwidth, reduced dimensions for high power applications are analyzed numerically: with smooth air gap, solid dielectric filling, and air gap with wiggling radial walls. The last example employs slow waves enabling size reduction and offers significant increase of bandwidth up to an octave and above at low insertion losses.