Experiments on the GIT-4 with the load connected upstream of the plasma opening switch

Experiments have been performed on the GIT-4 generator with a plasma opening switch to study the operation of a circuit connecting the load and the switch through an untriggered spark gap depending for its operation on a discharge over the surface of a dielectric in vacuum. The current switching into inductive loads of different inductance was investigated. The dependence of the time the switch is open on load inductance has been found. It has been demonstrated that the surface-discharge spark gap can be used at current rise rates of up to ∼2·10¹³ A/s. Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 31–35, December, 1999.     

快前沿mini-Marx发生器研制

 介绍了mini-Marx发生器的工作原理,总结了快mini-Marx发生器的设计原则。设计了一台10级单极性同轴结构的mini-Marx发生器。设计上将火花开关排成一排,借用前级开关强烈的紫外光以预电离下一级火花开关从而达到可靠运行,利用开关与屏蔽外筒间的结构电容来锐化高压脉冲的输出,同时采用紧凑性、低电感设计来获得快前沿的输出。发生器储能70 J,在70 Ω负载上获得了前沿6 ns、脉宽40 ns、幅度210 kV的高压脉冲。实验结果表明设计合理可行,达到了脉冲功率系统的小型化设计、获得了快前沿高幅度的高压脉冲。很好地满足了脉冲功率系统对快前沿高压脉冲的需求。用它直接驱动闪光X射线二极管,在距光源25 cm处获得了剂量大于7.7×10^-6 C/kg的闪光X射线。     

Factors affecting and methods of improving the pulse repetitionfrequency of pulse-charged and DC-charged high-pressure gasswitches

The results of this paper describe some of the factors which affect the repetitive operation of high-pressure gas switches (spark gaps) for both pulse-charged and DC-charged operation. Also discussed are methods which may be employed to improve the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of spark gaps operating under such conditions. Under pulse-charged conditions, the voltage recovery process of the spark gap has been shown to be restricted following partial density recovery by the residual ion population. This restriction may be minimized by applying a suitable bias voltage across the gap to remove the ion influence. It is also possible to manipulate the voltage-pressure (V-p) breakdown characteristic of a spark gap in order to improve the rate of rise of recovery voltage by reducing the recovery voltage dependence upon gas pressure. The combination of these effects has been shown to reduce the voltage recovery time of pulse-charged spark gaps from several hundred milliseconds to several milliseconds. Under DC-charged conditions, where no “dead time” is available for voltage recovery, it is possible to employ corona discharge effects, which occur in highly nonuniform fields, to stabilize and control the breakdown process. The use of corona stabilization has enabled the operation of a self-closing spark gap at a PRF of more than 5 kHz, without employing gas flow techniques. A triggered version of a corona-stabilized spark gap has also been developed which has demonstrated single run capabilities of 10⁷ (4 h continuous operation at 700 pps) and a lifetime of ~10 shots (maintenance free, sealed switch). The triggered corona switch has also demonstrated controlled switching up to a PRF of 1.2 kHz     

带触发网络的多重火花间隙触发器的研制

提出了一种基于Tesla变压器且带触发网络的多重火花间隙触发器设计方案。阐述了多重火花间隙在直流和脉冲信号下电压分布特性,并给出了其在脉冲电压作用下电压分布的主要影响因素。仿真分析了触发频率、分压电容和均压电阻对多重火花间隙电压分布的影响,确定了触发网络的最佳参数配置。以10级火花间隙为例,从触发器设计三要素,即脉冲陡度、输出幅值、带载能力出发,确定了Tesla型脉冲触发器的关键设计参数,当脉冲变压器的耦合系数为0.7,初级电感为2500 nH,次级电感为400 mH,初级电容为60F,初级电容充电电压为2.0 kV时,次级直接输出的触发高压可实现10级火花间隙的触发导通。结合多重火花间隙导通实验,对作用于多重火花间隙的触发器的工作过程进行实验验证。     

Wide-aperture electric-discharge XeCl lasers

Experimental investigations have been performed for aXeCl laser with the active region aperture equal to 6.5×7 and 15×15 cm. To pump the laser, two types of generator were used: a generator connected in a double-loop circuit with a peaking capacitor and a multichannel spark gap switch and a magnetic thyratron generator. The working mixtureNe−Xe−HCl was preionized with soft x rays and a low-current electron beam, providing an initial electron density ranging from 10⁶ to 5·10¹³ cm⁻³. Conditions in which a homogeneous space discharge is initiated have been studied. It has been investigated how the degree of ionization of the gas and the aperture of the active region affect the discharge and lasing characteristics of the laser. The laser efficiency reaches 4% with an energy of ≈ 6 J extracted from one liter of the active region. Institute of High-Current Electronics, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 54–59, April, 2000.     

Gas spark switches with increased operating life for Marx generator of lightning test complex

A new design of gas spark switches with an increased operating life and stable dynamic characteristics for the Marx generator of the lightning test complex has been developed. The switches are characterized by the following parameters in the mode of operation: voltage up to 80 kV, discharge current up to 50 kA, flowing charge up to 3.5 C/pulse. An increased operating life is achieved by using torus-shaped electrodes with increased working surface area and a trigger electrode in the form of a thick disk with a hole located between them. Low breakdown delay time and high stability of breakdown voltage under dynamic conditions are provided by gas preionization in the spark gap using UV radiation of an additional corona discharge in the axial region.     

Gold,silver, and palladium nanoparticle/nano-agglomerate generation,collection, and characterization

Generation, collection, and characterization of gold, silver, and palladium nanoparticles and nano-agglomerates (collectively “nanoparticles”) have been explored. The nanoparticles were generated with a spark aerosol generator (Palas GFG-1000). They were collected using a deposition cell under diffusion and thermophoresis. The shapes and sizes of the deposited particles were measured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM images showed that the particles were in the range of 8–100 nm in diameter, and their shapes varied from nearly spherical to highly non-spherical. Thermophoresis enhanced the deposition of nanoparticles (over the diffusive or the isothermal deposition) in all cases. Further, the size distributions of the nanoparticles generated in the gas phase (aerosol) were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS 3080, TSI) spectrometer. The SMPS results show that an increase in the spark frequency of the generator shifted the size distributions of the nanoparticles to larger diameters, and the total particle mass production rate increased linearly with increase in the spark frequency. The computational fluid dynamics code Fluent (Ansys) was used to model the flow in the deposition cell, and the computed results conform to the observations.     

大电流两电极气体开关研究

 由于引燃管难以满足现在能源系统对放电开关承受大电流的要求,因此研制了大电荷转移量两电极气体开关。这种新型气体开关电极间距可调,无触发极,采用同轴结构,并将主电极置于金属腔体内,减少了放电对绝缘支撑的污染。主电极为铜钨合金材料,设计为平顶圆柱状,以提高烧蚀均匀度和热传导效率,减少电极材料喷溅,延长其寿命。绝缘支撑采用碗状结构,提高了机械强度,增加了沿面击穿距离。该开关工作电压达25 kV,放电电流超过100 kA（脉冲宽度600 μs）,单次脉冲电荷转移量达50 C。实验结果显示该气体开关触发性能稳定,电极表面烧蚀均匀,多次大电流实验后电极表面保持完好,可应用于强激光能源系统。     

Expansion of spark channels in air and possibilities of plasma crowbar in high pulsed current and magnetic field technique

The radial expansion velocities and diameters of spark channels in air are measured by the plasma-metal contact method. An LC discharge circuit with energy up to 50 kJ and with current frequencies ranging from ∼10² to ∼10⁴ Hz served as the source of the channels. It is concluded on the basis of the results obtained that the previously proposed automatic plasma crowbar based on the expansion of spark channels in gases is a universal switch for an inductive load in LC discharge circuits that could find very wide applications in high pulsed current and magnetic field technology. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 133–136 (February 1998)     

基于磁开关的重复频率冲击电压发生器

用磁开关取代传统冲击电压发生器的放电球隙,利用磁开关可高重复频率工作和磁压缩陡化的特点和冲击电压发生器"并联充电,串联放电"的特点,可形成重复频率快前沿高压脉冲。建造了基于磁开关的冲击电压发生器,试验表明:其重复频率可达1 kHz,在1 nF的电容负载上可形成17 kV,上升时间小于80 ns的高压脉冲。     

On the initiation of a spark discharge upon the breakdown of nitrogen and air in a nonuniform electric field

Switchover from a runaway-electromnduced volume discharge to a spark is studied when a nanosecond discharge is initiated in high-pressure nitrogen an d air at a voltage of 50–250 kV. In the case of a cathode with a small radius of curvature and a flat anode and in the presence of cathode spots, the leader of the spark channel may propagate from the flat cathode. When the rate of rise of the voltage across centimeterwide gaps is high (dU/dt ∼ 10¹⁵ V/s or higher), cathode spots in the case of a corona discharge emerge within 200 ps.     

Inflections of spark leaders in elevated-pressure nanosecond gas discharges

The formation of spark leaders and a diffuse discharge due to the breakdown of gaps with a non-uniform electric field is studied in different elevated-pressure gases under the conditions of runaway electron beam and X-ray generation. Negative voltage pulses are applied to an electrode with a small radius of curvature. For pulse rise times of 0.5 and 1.5 ns, inflections on the spark leaders were observed. In a number of cases, two inflections appear making a right angle to the longitudinal axes of the leaders. It is shown that the formation of spark leaders is preceded by the appearance of diffuse tracks, which bridge the gap for no longer than 1 ns.     

1MV小型重复频率Marx发生器研制

设计了MV级小型重复频率Marx发生器,简化了发生器充放电回路,减小了能量损失;分析了隔离电感变化时对发生器输出脉冲电压波形的影响,减小了隔离电感体积,提高了隔离有效性;优化了开关腔体结构,实现了间距连续可调,且受外围结构的变化或振动影响,13个开关间隙置于同一垂线上,火花放电时产生的紫外线或射线相互照射,加速了开关导通,减小了Marx发生器输出电压抖动。塑壳电容降压使用,提高了发生器的可靠性;通过Pspice模拟和三维静电场分析,实现了发生器小型化,整个Marx发生器放置在一个密封纯净SF6气体的金属圆筒内,体积小于0.25m3。优化设计和实验研究,发生器在高阻负载上输出峰值1.02MV、前沿约30ns的高压脉冲,发生器储能290J,电压幅度抖动约10%,前沿抖动小于10ns,可实现重复频率20Hz稳定运行。     

Electrostatic dust explosion hazards – towards a <1 mJ synchronized-spark generator for determination of MIEs of ignition sensitive transient dust clouds

In current standard MIE tests for dusts various methods are proposed for synchronizing the electric spark with the transient dust cloud, but they all have a lower spark energy limit of 1–3 mJ. Some industrial dusts have MIEs in air significantly lower than 1 mJ. There is a need, therefore, for a synchronization method that works below 1 mJ. The present paper describes an improved version of the synchronized-spark generator developed by Randeberg et al. [25]. Adequate performance of the improved generator is indicated by a comparison of the MIE obtained for propane/air with values published by other workers.     

多组多路输出100 kV快前沿电脉冲触发系统

 在多路并联运行的电容储能型脉冲功率源中,为实现初级储能气体开关和脉冲形成主开关的同步,需要多组延时可调、每组多路输出的快前沿高电压脉冲来分别触发,为此研制了一套快响应低抖动100 kV快前沿电脉冲触发系统。该系统由同步机DG535和多组电脉冲放大单元组成,各组放大单元输出脉冲的延迟时间可调,延时步长由DG535设定,每组最短延时时间约为305 ns,抖动2 ns,可同时输出多路触发脉冲,在高阻负载上幅值可达180 kV,当输出信号为4路时,上升时间10 ns,当输出信号为8路时,上升时间15 ns。     

A new method for generation of synchronized capacitive sparks of low energy. Reconsideration of previously published findings

Using the spark generator of Randeberg et al., Randeberg and Eckhoff found a MIE of pre-mixed propane/air of <0.1 mJ, as opposed to the standard value 0.25 mJ. Literature studies revealed that this discrepancy was not a spark duration effect. The reason was a previously undetected subtle, but indeed significant, additional energy contribution. Therefore, the actual spark energies used by Randeberg et al. were considerably larger than the spark energies quoted by them. A main aim of the present paper is to explain the reason for this and to indicate a possible solution.     

Over recovery in low pressure spark gaps-confirmation of pressurereduction in over recovery

The over recovery in sparkgaps (Nagesh, 1997, Nagesh et al., 1999) operating along the left-hand side of Paschens' characteristics is due to pressure reduction in the gap after the first pulse discharge. This pressure reduction leading to over recovery in low pressure spark gaps has been verified using a low pressure spark gap with two spark gaps placed one above the other in the same chamber. The breakdown voltage strength characteristics of the second gap has been determined for gap spacings of 3.5 mm to 10 mm, diffusion of plasma in the direction of vacuum pumping and opposite, at a pressure of 2.1 Pa for hydrogen gas. The vacuum pumping direction has a great influence on the breakdown strength characteristics of second gap after the first gap discharge. The breakdown voltage of the second gap can exceed its self breakdown voltage only 1) when the diffusion of plasma and vacuum pumping direction are same and 2) when the second gap spacing is greater than or equal to first gap spacing. Shorter gaps can always have breakdown voltage lower than or equal to their self breakdown voltage. The experimental setups, behavior of self breakdown voltages of second gap due to breakdown in the first gap, over recovery characteristics of spark gaps, the results, and discussions are presented here     

Enhanced efficiency of a mutually coupled parallel spark preioniser

The enhanced efficiency, almost by a factor of 9, of preionisation when the laser is self-switched by a mutually coupled parallel spark preioniser as against its conventional operation with inductively ballasted preioniser, has been demonstrated in the operation of a TEA CO₂ laser. The increased preionisation peak current due to the near ballast free operation of the mutually coupled parallel spark channels is shown to be responsible for the observed behavior.     

Multichannel closing switch for water energy stores

This paper describes a megavolt closing spark gap switch designed to switch water energy stores in pulse power generators. A peculiarity of the closing spark gap switch is the multichannel regime of the current flow in all discharge gaps that prolongs the lifetime of the switch, decreases its inductance and resistance, and finally, reduces the losses of the stored energy transfered to a load. Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 91–99, December, 1999.     

Gain of a compressed DT fuel statistically ignited by a multispark assembly

Most of the current inertial confinement fusion (ICF) schemes are based on the ignition of a high-density DT fuel by a single, high-temperature spherical hot spot (the spark). The spark is self-generated by the implosion process, which is used to bring the fuel to high density. To start ignition the spark has to be dimensioned in such a way that the ion temperature would be greater than 5–7 keV, and that the spark radius would be greater than the α-particle range. A spark with these features is indicated as supercritical. In the scheme based on self-generated spark, ignition can fail to occur when the produced spark strongly deviates from spherical shape, which can make all the surface losses highly relevant. High deformation, or even spark splitting, can occur due to the amplification of initial deviations from spherical shape by hydrodynamic instabilities (or by secular growth) during the implosion process. In principle, ignition can be recovered if the implosion is designed in such a way as to make supercritical at least one of the portions of hot fuel which are produced in this way near stagnation. As a general trend, more compressed final assemblies are required. In this paper we present fuel gain calculations (Gain = Thermonuclear energy/Energy in the compressed fuel) for DT assemblies ignited at the end of an implosion process by a supercritical spark statistically created within a cluster of many subcritical sparks. It is assigned the total number of sparks and the probability of having at least one of them supercritical. As a function of these quantities we calculate, in the framework of an isobaric model, the average thermal energy associated with the spark assembly. The same model is also used to evaluate, by statistical arguments, the areal mass, the burn fraction, and the system’s total fuel gain. It is found that the energy distribution function of the sparks is influenced only by a single global parameter, in which the assigned ignition probability and the number of sparks are also represented. Compared to the single central-spark approach, being the final states with allowed inner turbulence, the multispark scheme is characterized by relaxed initial symmetry requirements. For multispark systems we can realistically consider the achievement of fuel gains comparable or greater than those typical of the single-spark approach, when evaluated for currently accepted spark convergence ratios. With regard to the single spark case, higher cold fuel densities are needed, as expected (typically 2×–3×, for the same gain, depending on the energy distribution function). Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 805–815 (March 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.