Foundations of Pulsed Power Technology

Examines the foundation of pulse power technology in detail to optimize the technology in modern engineering settings

Pulsed power technologies could be an answer to many cutting-edge applications. The challenge is in how to develop this high-power/high-energy technology to fit current market demands of low-energy consuming applications. This book provides a comprehensive look at pulsed power technology and shows how it can be improved upon for the world of today and tomorrow.

Foundations of Pulsed Power Technology focuses on the design and construction of the building blocks as well as their optimum assembly for synergetic high performance of the overall pulsed power system. Filled with numerous design examples throughout, the book offers chapter coverage on various subjects such as: Marx generators and Marx-like circuits; pulse transformers; pulse-forming lines; closing switches; opening switches; multi-gigawatt to multi-terawatt systems; energy storage in capacitor banks; electrical breakdown in gases; electrical breakdown in solids, liquids and vacuum; pulsed voltage and current measurements; electromagnetic interference and noise suppression; and EM topology for interference control. In addition, the book:

• Acts as a reference for practicing engineers as well as a teaching text

• Features relevant design equations derived from the fundamental concepts in a single reference

• Contains lucid presentations of the mechanisms of electrical breakdown in gaseous, liquid, solid and vacuum dielectrics

• Provides extensive illustrations and references

Foundations of Pulsed Power Technology will be an invaluable companion for professionals working in the fields of relativistic electron beams, intense bursts of light and heavy ions, flash X-ray systems, pulsed high magnetic fields, ultra-wide band electromagnetics, nuclear electromagnetic pulse simulation, high density fusion plasma, and high energy- rate metal forming techniques.

Autorentext

Jane Lehr is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico. Prior positions were at Sandia National Laboratories and the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate. She is a Fellow of the IEEE, past President of the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society, and currently serves as their Society Fellow Evaluation Chair. Pralhad Ron, PhD, is a scientist from the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), India. He retired as Head, Accelerator and Pulsed Power Division (APPD) of BARC. He served as Chairman, Steering Committee on Electron Beam Center, Kharghar, New Bombay, and Chairman, Safety Review Committee on Particle Accelerators in India constituted by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).

Inhalt
Preface xvii

About the Authors xxi

Acknowledgements xxiii

Introduction xxv

1 Marx Generators and Marx-Like Circuits 1

1.1 Operational Principles of Simple Marxes 1

1.1.1 Marx Charge Cycle 3

1.1.2 Marx Erection 4

1.1.3 Marx Discharge Cycle 6

1.1.4 Load Effects on the Marx Discharge 10

1.2 Impulse Generators 15

1.2.1 Exact Solutions 15

1.2.2 Approximate Solutions 18

1.2.3 Distributed Front Resistors 19

1.3 Effects of Stray Capacitance on Marx Operation 19

1.3.1 Voltage Division by Stray Capacitance 20

1.3.2 Exploiting Stray Capacitance: The Wave Erection Marx 22

1.3.3 The Effects of Interstage Coupling Capacitance 23

1.4 Enhanced Triggering Techniques 26

1.4.1 Capacitive Back-Coupling 26

1.4.2 Resistive Back-Coupling 27

1.4.3 Capacitive and Resistively Coupled Marx 28

1.4.4 The Maxwell Marx 30

1.5 Examples of Complex Marx Generators 31

1.5.1 Hermes I and II 31

1.5.2 PBFA and Z 32

1.5.3 Aurora 33

1.6 Marx Generator Variations 33

1.6.1 Marx/PFN with Resistive Load 35

1.6.2 Helical Line Marx Generator 38

1.7 Other Design Considerations 39

1.7.1 Charging Voltage and Number of Stages 39

1.7.2 Insulation System 40

1.7.3 Marx Capacitors 41

1.7.4 Marx Spark Gaps 41

1.7.5 Marx Resistors 42

1.7.6 Marx Initiation 42

1.7.7 Repetitive Operation 44

1.7.8 Circuit Modeling 45

1.8 Marx-Like Voltage-Multiplying Circuits 45

1.8.1 The Spiral Generator 46

1.8.2 Time Isolation Line Voltage Multiplier 48

1.8.3 The LC Inversion Generator 49

1.9 Design Examples 54

2 Pulse Transformers 63

2.1 Tesla Transformers 63

2.1.1 Equivalent Circuit and Design Equations 64

2.1.2 Double Resonance and Waveforms 65

2.1.3 Off Resonance and Waveforms 66

2.1.4 Triple Resonance and Waveforms 67

2.1.5 No Load and Waveforms 68

2.1.6 Construction and Configurations 69

2.2 Transmission Line Transformers 71

2.2.1 Tapered Transmission Line 71

2.3 Magnetic Induction 79

2.3.1 Linear Pulse Transformers 81

2.3.2 Induction Cells 81

2.3.3 Linear Transformer Drivers 83

2.4 Design Examples 90

3 Pulse Forming Lines 97

3.1 Transmission Lines 97

3.1.1 General Transmission Line Relations 99

3.1.2 The Transmission Line Pulser 101

3.2 Coaxial Pulse Forming Lines 102

3.2.1 Basic Design Relations 102

3.2.2 Optimum Impedance for Maximum Voltage 104

3.2.3 Optimum Impedance for Maximum Energy Store 105

3.3 Blumlein PFL 105

3.3.1 Transient Voltages and Output Waveforms 107

3.3.2 Coaxial Blumleins 109

3.3.3 Stacked Blumlein 111

3.4 Radial Lines 113

3.5 Helical Lines 116

3.6 PFL Performance Parameters 117

3.6.1 Electrical Breakdown 118

3.6.2 Dielectric Strength 119

3.6.3 Dielectric Constant 126

3.6.4 Self-Discharge Time Constant 126

3.6.5 PFL Switching 127

3.7 Pulse Compression 128

3.7.1 Intermediate Storage Capacitance 129

3.7.2 Voltage Ramps and Double-Pulse Switching 129

3.7.3 Pulse Compression on Z 131

3.8 Design Examples 134

4 Closing Switches 147

4.1 Spark Gap Switches 148

4.1.1 Electrode Geometries 150

4.1.2 Equivalent Circuit of a Spark Gap 154

4.1.3 Spark Gap Characteristics 158

4.1.4 Current Sharing in Spark Gaps 172

4.1.5 Triggered Spark Gaps 177

4.1.6 Specialized Spark Gap Geometries 195

4.1.7 Materials Used in Spark Gaps 201

4.2 Gas Discharge Switches 204

4.2.1 The Pseudospark Switch 204 <p&...