Marx generator

About: Marx generator is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1276 publications have been published within this topic receiving 8970 citations.

FPGA-Controlled All-Solid-State Nanosecond Pulse Generator for Biological Applications

Abstract: In vivo studies of tumor-cell apoptosis induced by nanosecond pulsed electric field require high-voltage nanosecond pulses delivered to the biological tissues. In this paper, a newly developed all-solid-state nanosecond pulse generator based on the Marx generator concept is proposed for this application. The generator comprises four parts: a dc charging power, a solid-state Marx circuit using metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors, a control circuit using a field-programmable gate array, and the load. This generator has the capability of producing repetitive pulses with a voltage up to 8 kV, pulsewidth of 200-1000 ns, rise time of 35 ns, and repetition rate of 1-1000 Hz with various resistive loads and 1-kV dc input voltage. The all-solid-state design makes the generator compact and reliable. Initial experiments were carried out to verify the performances of the proposed generator.

Resistance of Spark Channels

Abstract: A study undertaken to measure the resistance of spark channels in air with two different current waveforms is presented. In one experiment, the spark was created by a Marx generator. In this case, the gap length was maintained at 12.8 cm, and the current flowing through the spark had a peak current lying in the range of 0.2-2.2 kA. The decay time of the current was larger than 100 mus. In the other experiment, the spark was created by a current generator. In that experiment, the gap length was maintained at 1 cm, and the current flowing through the spark had peak-current amplitudes in the range of 35-48 kA. The decay time of the current was larger than 500 mus. The results show that the resistance of spark channels initially decreases, reaches a minimum value, and then recovers as the current in the spark gap decreases. The minimum resistance of the spark channel decreases with an increasing peak current. The results are compared with various theories that attempt to predict the temporal variation of the resistance of spark channels. The comparison shows that further developments in the existing theoretical models are needed in order to reproduce with better accuracy the dynamic behavior of the channel resistance

A compact, high-voltage e-beam pulser

Abstract: It is well established that pulsed power technology is relatively cheaper than other architectures aiming to produce high-current, high-voltage electron or ion accelerators. The footprints of most pulsed power accelerators are large, making them incompatible for applications that require either portability or a large number of similar components for very high power devices (like Z-pinch accelerators). Most of the modern pulsed power accelerators require several stages of pulse conditioning (pulse forming) to convert the multimicrosecond pulse of a Marx generator output to the 50-100 ns pulse required for an electron or ion diode or a cell cavity of an inductive voltage adder. The authors propose a new method for constructing high-current, high-voltage pulsed accelerators. The salient future of the approach is switching and inductively adding the pulses at low voltage straight out of the capacitors through low inductance transfer and soft iron core isolation. High currents can be achieved by feeding each core with many capacitors connected in parallel in a circular array. High voltage is obtained by inductively adding many stages in series. Utilizing the presently available capacitors and switches we can build a 300 kA, 7 MV generator with an overall outer diameter (including capacitors and switches) of 1.2 m and length of 6.5 m. In addition, the authors' accelerator can be multipulsed with a repetition rate up to the capacitor specifications and no less than 10 Hz. As an example the design of a 3-MeV, 100-kA accelerator is presented and analyzed.

The Marx generator as an ultra wideband source

Abstract: Summary form only given. Traditional uses of the Marx generator have been limited to energy storage and delivery systems, such as charging capacitors or pulse forming lines. However, low energy, high peak power Marx generators are finding applications in Ultra Wideband radar and high power microwave systems. This paper presents the results of a new compact, high powered Marx generator designed for these applications. The pulse parameters of the generator are discussed, as well as radiation measurements made with TEM horn antennas.

Characterization and analysis of a pulse power system based on Marx generator and Blumlein

Abstract: A pulse power system (1MV, 50kA, and 100ns) based on Marx generator and Blumlein pulse forming line has been studied for characterization of a general system. Total erected Marx inductance and series resistance are calculated from modular testing of Marx generator and testing of Marx generator with Blumlein. The complete pulse power system has been tested with the termination of a liquid resistor load for finding the Blumlein characteristic impedance. Equivalent electrical circuits during the charging and discharging of the Blumlein are constructed from the characterized parameters of the system. These equivalent circuits can be used in the analysis of prepulse voltage and droop in the flat top of the main pulse in the pulse power systems based on Marx generator and Blumlein.