A corona-stabilised plasma closing switch

J.R. Beveridge, S.J. MacGregor, M.J. Given, I. Timoshkin, J.M. Lehr

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)
36 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Corona-stabilised plasma closing switches, filled with electronegative gases such as SF6 and air, have been used in pulsed-power applications as repetitive switching devices for the last 10 years. Their high repetition-rate capabilities coupled with their relatively simple design and construction have made them suitable alternatives to thyratrons and semi-conductor switches. As well as having repetitive switching capabilities, corona-stabilised plasma closing switches have the potential to operate at elevated voltages through the incorporation of multiple electrode sets. This allows high-voltage operation with inherent voltage grading between the electrodes. A further feature of such switches is that they can have relatively low jitter under triggered condition. This paper reports on some of the operational features of a new design of corona-stabilised, cascade switch that utilises air as the insulating gas. At pressures between 0 and 1 bar gauge the switch has be shown to operate over the voltage range of 40 to 100 kV with a jitter below 2 ns.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)948-955
Number of pages8
JournalIEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation
Volume16
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2009

Keywords

  • pulse power system switches
  • corona
  • delay effects
  • timing jitter
  • jitter
  • high voltage techniques
  • pulse generation
  • plasma devices
  • gas discharge devices
  • pulse compression circuits
  • pulse power systems
  • pulse shaping circuits
  • dielectric breakdown

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