A high-power, high-energy pulsed-power generator for high-impedance loads
Parker M., Novac BM., Smith IR., Senior P., Louverdis G.
A high-energy pulsed-power generator, based on a 415 kJ / 22 kV capacitor bank, has recently been developed and tested at Loughborough University. The generator can drive a load having a resistance of between 10 Ω and 40 Ω and a self-inductance between 10 μH and 30 μH, using conventional inductive storage techniques that include a high-voltage transformer (HVT) with a coupling coefficient of about 0.8 and capable of withstanding up to 600 kV. An exploding wire array (EWA) is used as an opening switch in the primary circuit and a self-breakdown closing switch (operating under pressurised SF 6) is implemented in the secondary (load) circuit to condition the output,. The bank discharge is controlled by a detonator-activated dielectric breakdown, high-coulomb, low-inductance closing switch. © 2011 IEEE.