Research and Development of WRD600: Innovations in High-Power Double-Ridge Waveguide Combiners for Ultra-Wideband Applications

This paper proposes for the first time a novel double-ridge waveguide standard, the WRD600, tailored for high-power applications across a wide frequency range. Overcoming the operational constraints of existing standards, the WRD600 offers a 3:1 bandwidth (6–18 GHz) with a cutoff frequency at 4.45 GHz. Optimized dimensions ensure non-dispersive transmission behavior, which is essential for achieving a promising performance. In addition, a complete ultra-wideband 4-way power combining assembly is presented as an application for the proposed double-ridge standard. This includes building the test setup and experimentally validating the combining network from 6 to 18 GHz, where an agreement has been shown between the simulated and measured responses. The assembly achieves and demonstrates an output return loss and isolation levels better than 12.5 dB with a 0.8 dB insertion loss and power handling up to 6 KW.