A 7.8 kV nanosecond pulse generator with a 500 Hz repetition rate

Abstract

Pseudospark switches are widely used in pulsed power applications. In this paper, we present the design and performance of a 500 Hz repetition rate high-voltage pulse generator to drive TDI-series pseudospark switches. A high-voltage pulse is produced by discharging an 8 µF capacitor through a primary windings of a setup isolation transformer using a single metal-oxidesemiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) as a control switch. In addition, a self-break spark gap is used to steepen the pulse front. The pulse generator can deliver a high-voltage pulse with a peak trigger voltage of 7.8 kV, a peak trigger current of 63 A, a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ∼ 30 ns, and a rise time of 5 ns to the trigger pin of the pseudospark switch. During burst mode operation, the generator achieved up to a 500 Hz repetition rate. Meanwhile, we also provide an AC heater power circuit for heating a H 2 reservoir. This pulse generator can be used in circuits with TDI-series pseudospark switches with either a grounded cathode or with a cathode electrically floating operation. The details of the circuits and their implementation are described in the paper. K: Pulsed power; Trigger concepts and systems (hardware and software); Plasma generation (laser-produced, RF, x ray-produced) 1Corresponding author.

High-voltage and high-current crowbar system based on pseudospark switches: from system design to verification

“…When pseudospark switch with a cathode electrically floating operation, in which ignitor and reservoir of pseudospark switch are under high voltage, it requires the pseudospark switch driver to have high voltage isolation function. In order to meet the requirements, a reliable and compact pseudospark switch driver is designed [15], which combines a single MOSFET with a self-break spark gap to generate a high-voltage pulse. The pulse output terminal and heater output terminal are connected with a pulse isolation transformer and a power frequency isolation transformer, respectively.…”

“…The operation of power crowbar system requires that the closing switches can withstand high voltage and then quickly enter the conductive state to pass through a high current with minimal loss. Solid-state switches, such as insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) [14], metaloxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) [15,16], and silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) [13,17], combine the advantages of high voltage (kilovolt level) and current handling capability with fast switching times, and are widely used as power devices in medium power applications. However, it is difficult for solid-state switches to meet the electrical requirements when dealing with the power crowbar system for plasma research.…”