Marx generator

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

Repetitive auto-triggered Marx generator as the driver of an ultrawideband source

Abstract: Traditional uses of the Marx generator have been limited to energy storage and delivering systems, such as charging capacitors or pulse forming lines. However, low energy, compact, high peak power Marx generators can be used as repetitive drivers for many applications. This paper presents the design, the realisation and experimental tests of a repetitive auto-triggered Marx generator expected to be the driver of a broadband radiation system. This whole system consists of a pulsed power source, i.e. a pulse forming line charged by a Marx bank and an UWB antenna array. Design of the Marx generator were planned to reach a voltage level of up to 400kV, a 200Hz repetition rate and a good reproducibility. In this way, the generator is supplied with a high voltage pulsed power supply; charging and discharging circuits were made of home-designed inductors. Furthermore, we focus on the first stage of this Marx generator in which a new simple auto-triggered spark-gap was integrated. The Marx is then combined to a forming line and a peaking spark gap to deliver rectangular output pulses with rise-times closed to 250ps.

Design of a damped sinusoidal oscillator system

Abstract: A damped sinusoidal (DS) oscillator system has been designed and fabricated in our laboratory. The system consists of a primary power source, a Marx generator, a transmission line oscillator, and a helical antenna. A Marx generator is used to feed 300kV high voltage pulse to the DS oscillator. The designed characteristic impedance and average switching voltage of the DS oscillator is 6.3 ohm and 300kV respectively. The axial mode helical antenna is designed to operate at a frequency around 250MHz. The whole DS oscillator system has been simulated using FEMM, Pspice and CST MWS. The measured maximum horizontal electric field is 18kV/m at a range of 10m when the transmission line oscillator is charged with 230kV. This paper describes works performed in initial design stage, computer simulation stage, and test results of our manufactured DS system.

Compact, mega-volt, rep-rated Marx generators

Abstract: A concept for compact, megavolt Marx generators has been developed, resulting in several functional designs which are approximately 1/2 the diameter and 1/4 to 1/2 the height of conventional units. The customized Marx capacitor assemblies utilize multiple windings which have been incorporated into a single common capacitor case. Spark gap switch electrodes extend directly from the external capacitor terminals, eliminating the need for additional buswork. In order to construct the Marx generator, two such capacitor assemblies are positioned directly opposite each other so that the electrodes line up in a vertical column between the two assemblies. More than 10000 shots have been recorded to date with a test system with no major system failures. The entire Marx bank, charging inductors, and trigger circuit are contained in a cylindrical gas vessel 30 in. in diameter and 22 in. in height, weighing approximately 160 lb. >

The Nike electron-beam-pumped KrF laser amplifiers

Abstract: Nike is a recently completed multikilojoule krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser that has been built to study the physics of direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. The two final amplifiers of the Nike laser are both electron-beam-pumped systems. This paper describes these two amplifiers, with an emphasis on the pulsed power. The smaller of the two has a 20/spl times/20 cm aperture, and produces an output laser beam energy in excess of 100 J. This 20 cm Amplifier uses a single 12 kJ Marx generator to inject two 300 kV, 75 kA, 140 ns flat-top electron beams into opposite sides of the laser cell. The larger amplifier in Nike has a 60/spl times/60 cm aperture, and amplifies the laser beam up to 5 W. This 60 cm amplifier has two independent electron beam systems. Each system has a 170 kT Marx generator that produces a 670 kV, 540 kA, 240 ns Bat-top electron beam. Both amplifiers are complete, fully integrated into the laser, meet the Nike system requirements, and are used routinely for laser-target experiments.

Compact flash x-ray systems for radiographic applications

Abstract: Compact Marx generators based on the wave-erection principle are ideal drivers for flash x-ray systems. Traditional Marx generator design techniques lead to slow rising voltage pulses, marked by high impedances, large temporal jitter values and inefficient transfer of energy. As a result, larger pulse generators are fabricated to overcome these shortcomings, which results in excessive volumes and weights. Applied Physical Electronics, L.C. has been developing Marx generators for many years based on the wave-erection principle. As a result, generators with relatively low source impedances, high impulse voltages and compact geometries are making their way into use as portable flash x-ray drivers. More recently, APELC is extending their compact designs into complete flash x-ray systems, including the diode load. This paper discusses two generator systems that have been developed, basic diode geometries that will be incorporated, and a new novel system designed to generate up to an x-ray energy of 3.2 MeV.