Marx generator

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

The VEBA relativistic electron accelerator

Abstract: The VEBA high-current, relativistic electron accelerator has been designed and constructed at NRL for application in the study of high-power microwave sources. To meet the requirements of this study, the accelerator was designed for operation in either a short (60 nsec) or long (2.2 ?sec) pulse mode. The short-pulse mode has been in operation for nearly two years and has proven to be an extremely reliable design. The design of the long-pulse mode is now complete and component fabrication will soon be underway. The pulse-forming network in the short-pulse mode is an unbalanced, water Blumlein with an output impedance of 9.2? The Blumlein is pulse charged by a 17 stage Marx generator which has a series capacitance of 29.4 nF. By transmission along a tapered coaxial line, the output pulse is transformed to 20 ? and the voltage developed across a matched load increased to a maximum of 2.5 MV. The proposed conversion to the long-pulse mode will require that the Blumlein and transformer sections be removed and the diode assembly be attached directly to the oversized Marx tank. The direct coupling between the Marx and the Blumlein will then be replaced by two, nested, water capacitors which are shunted by spiral inductors. When coupled in series with the Marx, this output filter will form a three-section, voltage-fed, Guillemin (type A), pulse-forming network with a characteristic impedance of 40 ? and a maximum output voltage of 0.9 MV.

A high-power TEA N2 laser using a modified Marx generator

Abstract: A new design of TEA N2 laser for producing high-density excitation by combined use of a modified Marx generator and a pair of high-speed capacitors is described. Laser output of 1.5 MW (1.2 mJ, 0.8 ns) is obtained from a 12 cm long uniform discharge at a charging voltage of 25 kV.

Performance of an Advanced Repetitively Pulsed Electron Beam Pumped KrF Laser Driver

Abstract: Electa is a repetitively pulsed, electron beam pumped krypton fluoride (KrF) gas laser that is a step in developing the technologies that meet the Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) requirements for durability, efficiency, repetition rate, and cost. The technologies to be developed in the Electa system are to be directly scalable to a full size fusion power plant beam line. We have fielded an advanced pulsed power driver for the KrF preamplifier in the Electa system which serves two roles: it completes the laser system and serves as a demonstrator for the advanced pulsed power topology that can meet the IFE requirements. The initial system employs a gas switched Marx with improved reliability and maintenance schedule. The Marx will later be retrofitted (circa 2006) with advanced solid state switches, presently under development in the Electa program. The output of the pulsed power driver, delivered to counter-streaming electron beam diodes, is 20/40/30 ns (trise/flattop/tfall), 150-175 kV, and 60-80 kA per side with a 1.1 ohm nominal impedance. The pulser operates in single-shot, burst, and continuous modes at up to 5 Hz, with 1 ns (1 sigma) or less absolute timing jitter. A single pulsed power driver is coupled to the opposing electron guns via four liquid-filled TTI's (transit time isolators). These TTI's are necessarily compound (oil/water/oil) in order to balance their electrical lengths against unequal mechanical lengths. The Marx is gas-insulated and charges a 1.1-ohm water PFL in less than 100 ns. An output magnetic switch with a saturated inductance of less than 14 nH using Metglasreg cores discharges the pulse forming line (PFL) into the four parallel compound TTI's. A set of four (2 each side) inverted Z-stack bushings provide the interface between the TTI's and the vacuum chambers and diodes. The pulsed power driver design for this preamplifier has been described previously.

High current fast Marx generator and vircator experiments

Abstract: This paper describes a compact pulsed power generator. This system stores 10 kJ and is capable of delivering up to 40 GW to an electron diode. It has been optimized to drive high power microwaves devices that require high current. In order to limit the parasitic inductance and to reduce the rise time of the current to less than 100 ns, two Marx generators have been associated in parallel. Some typical results of vircator operation in S band are also presented.