Examination of Additively Manufactured Chokes for Size Reduction and Performance Improvement in RF and Microwave Applications
Abstract
For many RF and microwave applications, a balun is imperative to ensure the
proper performance of a balanced structure that is connected to an unbalanced
structure. Sleeve baluns are a common type of balun that are relatively cheap
and basic, but they are also large, heavy, and time consuming to assemble. This
works presents several novel methods of using additive manufacturing techniques
to mitigate all of these issues. First, a methods of 3D printing basic designs to
reduce weight and improve ease of assembly is presented. This method is then
used to construct balun with up to two folds, which reduces the overall size
of the balun with each consecutive fold. Next, a castable silicone is used to
also reduce the overall size of a balun by reducing the effective wavelength on
the balun’s interior, which is first tested with traditional unfolded baluns. This
method was then combined with the folded balun design to compound the size
reduction from both methods. A final method of printing a dielectric core and
applying metal to the core is then presented. The performance of all of the baluns
is presented and discussed and future improvements are addressed. Ultimately,
this work establishes a method of drastically reducing the size of sleeve baluns
to a point where they can be used as in line components, while still maintaining
performance levels comparable to a standard, bulky sleeve balun.
Collections
- OU - Theses [2088]