Microwave magnetron device: principle of operation

Even a child can easily operate a microwave today. She became a familiar and reliable assistant. And at the same time, we rarely think about how food is heated in a matter of minutes. And this happens thanks to the microwaves that the magnetron produces. We will figure out how the device works.

What is a magnetron in microwave

Magnetron is the main part of the microwave. It is no coincidence that they are called the heart of the unit. Microwave properly performs its functions only with a working magnetron. The main task of the part is the creation of electromagnetic fields. The ability to lead their emergence was established almost 100 years ago.

Reference. In 1921, a physicist from the United States, A. Hull, in the course of experiments and experiments, discovered the possibility of changing the mass of electrons.

He introduced the name of the magnetron. But high-frequency electromagnetic waves were discovered three years later, in 1924. Since that time, scientists have not only studied microwave, but also learned how to use them.

reference. In microwave ovens, these wave generators have been used since the 60s of the XX century.

How is the magnetron in the microwave

The construction of a part requires minimal knowledge of physics. The flow of electrons occurs in the space between the anode and cathode.

Anode

In the microwave, copper is used for the anode. A cylinder shell is made of it. Inside it is hollow. The wall of the cylinder is thick, its inner surface is uneven. In the section, the anode looks like a circle along the entire length of which there are small half rings.

They are necessary to create additional resonance. There is no air inside the anode, a vacuum space is created there. So that the generated microwave waves do not remain inside, one of the half-rings of the resonators has a special output.

Cathode

A cathode is laid through the center of the anode. An incandescent thread was used for him. To heat it, wires are provided. They connect the cathode to a heating source.

Important! The anode and cathode are placed in a special unit that contains magnets.

The principle of operation of the magnetron

So now we know that 2 different fields interact in the main part of the microwave .

• The first one is electronic. When the device is turned on and the voltage is applied to the cathode, electrons appear that move to the positive pole - to the anode.
• The second field is magnetic. It acts on the particles and returns them back to the cathode.

After the electrons form a ring, a charge arises inside the magnetron. Moreover, the number of charges increases, since additional electron rings are formed in each half-ring resonator. This causes high-frequency oscillations. In this way, The microwave wave field appears as a result of the interaction of the electronic and magnetic fields. Microwaves arising at the same time also process products.