Pre-Dissertation

On
ANALYSIS OF MICROWAVE
COMPONENT (WAVEGUIDES) USING AVAILABLE
SOFTWARE

Submitted to:
Submitted by: Mrs. Sandhya Sharma
Apurva (Faculty of ECE)
CONTENTS
 Wave guides
 Basic features
 Rectangular Wave guide
 Circular Wave guide
 Applications
 Other Waveguides
 Advantages
 Disadvantages
 Conclusion

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Introduction

 At frequencies higher than 3 GHz, transmission of

electromagnetic energy along the transmission lines and cables
becomes difficult.

 This is due to the losses that occur both in the solid dielectric
needed to support the conductor and in the conductors
themselves.

 A metallic tube can be used to transmit electromagnetic wave

at the above frequencies.

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Definition
 A Hollow metallic tube of uniform cross section for
transmitting electromagnetic waves by successive reflections
from the inner walls of the tube is called waveguide.

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 Basic features
 Waveguides may be used to carry energy between pieces of
equipment or over longer distances to carry transmitter power to an
antenna or microwave signals from an antenna to a receiver.
 Waveguides are made from copper, aluminum. These metals are
extruded into long rectangular or circular pipes.
 An electromagnetic energy to be carried by a waveguide is injected
into one end of the waveguide.
 The electric and magnetic fields associated with the signal bounce
off the inside walls back and forth as it progresses down the
waveguide.

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EM field configuration within the waveguide

 In order to determine the EM field configuration within the

waveguide, Maxwell’s equations should be solved subject to
appropriate boundary conditions at the walls of the guide.

 Such solutions give rise to a number of field configurations. Each

configuration is known as a mode. The following are the different
modes possible in a waveguide system.

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Components of Electric and Magnetic Field
Intensities in an EM wave

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Types of Modes
 Waves can propagate in various ways
•Time taken to move down the guide varies with the
mode
•Each mode has a cutoff frequency below which it
won’t
propagate
•Mode with lowest cutoff frequency is dominant
mode

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1. Transverse Electro Magnetic (TEM) wave: Here both electric and
magnetic fields are directed components. (i.e.) E z = 0 and Hz = 0.
2. Transverse Electric (TE) wave: Here only the electric field is
purely transverse to the direction of propagation and the magnetic field
is not purely transverse. (i.e.) E z = 0, Hz ≠ 0.
3. Transverse Magnetic (TM) wave: Here only magnetic field is
transverse to the direction of propagation and the electric field is not
purely transverse. (i.e.) E z ≠ 0, Hz = 0.
3. Transverse Magnetic (TM) wave: Here only magnetic field is
transverse to the direction of propagation and the electric field is not
purely transverse. (i.e.) E z ≠ 0, Hz = 0.

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10
Types of Waveguide
 Rectangular waveguide
 Circular waveguide
 Optical waveguide
 Parallel plate waveguide
 Flexible waveguide
 Etc…………

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Rectangular Waveguides

 Any shape of cross section of a waveguide can support

electromagnetic waves of which rectangular and circular waveguides
have become more common.

 A waveguide having rectangular cross section is known as

Rectangular waveguide.

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Dimensions of the waveguide which determines the
operating frequency range.

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Dimensions of the waveguide which determines the
operating frequency range:

1. The size of the waveguide determines its operating frequency range.

2. The frequency of operation is determined by the dimension ‘a’.

3. This dimension is usually made equal to one – half the wavelength at

the lowest frequency of operation, this frequency is known as the
waveguide cutoff frequency.

4. At the cutoff frequency and below, the waveguide will not transmit
energy. At frequencies above the cutoff frequency, the waveguide will
propagate energy.

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Wave paths in a waveguide at various frequencies

( a ) At high
frequency

( b) At medium
frequency

( c ) At low
frequency

(d) At cutoff
frequency

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 Wave propagation

 When a probe launches energy into the waveguide, the electromagnetic

fields bounce off the side walls of the waveguide as shown in the
above diagram.
 The angles of incidence and reflection depend upon the operating
frequency. At high frequencies, the angles are large and therefore, the
path between the opposite walls is relatively long as shown in Fig
 At lower frequency, the angles decrease and the path between the sides
shortens.
 When the operating frequency is reaches the cutoff frequency of the
waveguide, the signal simply bounces back and forth directly between
the side walls of the waveguide and has no forward motion.
 At cut off frequency and below, no energy will propagate.

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Cut off frequency
 The exact size of the wave guide is selected based on the desired
operating frequency.

 The size of the waveguide is chosen so that its rectangular width is

greater than one – half the wavelength but less than the one
wavelength at the operating frequency.

 This gives a cutoff frequency that is below the operating frequency,

thereby ensuring that the signal will be propagated down the line.

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Representation of modes
 The general symbol of representation will be TE or TM m, n
m, n
where the subscript m indicates the number of half wave variations
of the electric field intensity along the b ( wide) dimension of the
waveguide.

 The second subscript n indicates the number of half wave variations

of the electric field in the a (narrow) dimension of the guide.

 The TE 1, 0mode has the longest operating wavelength and is

designated as the dominant mode. It is the mode for the lowest
frequency that can be propagated in a waveguide.

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19
Expression for cut off wavelength
 For a standard rectangular waveguide, the cutoff wavelength is given
by,


2
c  2 2
m n
   
 a  b

Where a and b are measured in centimeters

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Circular wave guide

A Hollow metallic tube of uniform circular cross section for

transmitting electromagnetic waves by successive reflections from the
inner walls of the tube is called Circular waveguide.

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 The circular waveguide is used in many special applications in
microwave techniques.

 It has the advantage of greater power – handling capacity and lower

attenuation for a given cutoff wavelength. However, the
disadvantage of somewhat greater size and weight.

 The polarization of the transmitted wave can be altered due to the

minor irregularities of the wall surface of the circular guide, whereas
the rectangular wave guide the polarization is fixed.

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Description
 The wave of lowest frequency or the dominant mode in the circular
waveguide is the TE11 mode. The first subscript m indicates the
number of full – wave variations of the radial component of the
electric field around the circumference of the waveguide. The second
subscript n indicates the number of half – wave variations across the
diameter.

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Applications of circular waveguide
 Rotating joints in radars to connect the horn antenna feeding a
parabolic reflector (which must rotate for tracking).

 TE01 mode suitable for long distance waveguide transmission above

10 GHz.

 Short and medium distance broad band communication (could

replace / share coaxial and microwave links).

 To reduce attenuation loss.

 Can operate only above certain frequencies.

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Optical waveguide
 Waveguides used at optical frequencies are typically
dielectric waveguides, structures in which a dielectric
material with high permittivity, and thus high index of
refraction, is surrounded by a material with lower
permittivity. The structure guides optical waves by total
internal reflection. An example of an optical waveguide is
optical fiber.
Optical frequencies
• Core dielectric
• Refractive index “n-one” (r<a)
• Cladding dielectric constant
• Refractive index “n-two” (a<r<b)

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 Flexible waveguide
 It is a type of waveguide which can easily turn and twisted in
circuit to connect the source with the load. This type of
waveguide is designed in such a way that the internal
portion is made of conducting material in spring shape .The
external portion is covered with rubber to avoid dust, rust
and humidity.
 Use:
 Its used where path from load to the source is twisty.
 Also used to minimize size and design of microwave
equipment as well as weight.

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Flexible twisted waveguide

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Other types of wave guides

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Advantages
 Waveguides have several advantages over two-wire and coaxial
transmission lines.

 Skin effect tends to increase the effective resistance of the conductor.

Although energy transfer in coaxial cable is caused by
electromagnetic field motion, the magnitude of the field is limited by
the size of the current-carrying area of the inner conductor.

 The small size of the center conductor is even further reduced by

skin effect and energy transmission by coaxial cable becomes less
efficient than by waveguides.

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 Dielectric losses are also lower in waveguides than in two-wire and
coaxial transmission lines.

 The dielectric in waveguides is air, which has a much lower

dielectric loss than conventional insulating materials. However,
waveguides are also subject to dielectric breakdown caused by
standing waves.

 Power-handling capability is another advantage of waveguides.

Waveguides can handle more power than coaxial lines of the same
size because power-handling capability is directly related to the
distance between conductors.

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Disadvantages
 Physical size is the primary lower-frequency limitation of
waveguides. The width of a waveguide must be approximately
a half wavelength at the frequency of the wave to be
transported.
 Waveguides are difficult to install because of their rigid,
hollow-pipe shape. Special couplings at the joints are required
to assure proper operation.
 Costs are more and decrease the practicality of waveguide
systems at any other than microwave frequency.
 Operate at narrow bandwidth.
 It is very bulky, not flexible, not economical
 Propagation of EM waves takes place due to reflection in the
waveguide hence TEM mode is not possible.
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Conclusion
 Electromagnetic waves can be guided along a desired route not only
by transmission lines but also by hollow pipes, dielectric coated
surfaces, or dielectric rods.

 It is typical of all these hollow waveguides that (1) they cannot

support the TEM wave type, but support the TE and TM wave types
and (2) they cannot transmit energy below a certain frequency,
known as the Cut-off frequency.

 Waves of frequencies above the cut-off frequency propagate without

attenuation (except due to losses in materials).

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 Waves of frequencies lower than the cut-off frequency, known as
evanescent modes, are exponentially attenuated and do not propagate
at all.

 Among hollow metallic waveguides, the most important are those of

rectangular cross section. There are an infinite number of both TEmn
and TMmn modes that can propagate along such waveguides.

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Thank You…

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