May 17, 2022

1. Thales is a pioneer of pyrolytic graphite grid technology. The two control grids used in the RS2048CJC tube are grown in a furnace to the required shape and then the correct patterns are cut into them. One grid sits inside the other with only a few tenths of a millimeter between them.  The patterns exactly shadow each other and must stay separated and perfectly aligned as they heat up to around 1000° C
2. The RS2048CJC tube is about the size of an American football, yet is designed to output nearly 50kW of power.
3. The filament handles a current of over 100A and operates at 2000° C, yet mechanically is as fragile as spun sugar; so always handle the tubes with care.
4. The voltage across the whole tube is over 10kV, about 100 times the voltage in your electrical outlet at home, so make sure the person installing the tube is properly trained.
5. At full power there may be around 14kW of waste heat generated and therefore proper water cooling is essential; keep your chiller properly maintained.
6. An interesting side note, the inside of the tube is a vacuum equivalent to the vacuum in deep space.