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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 948-955 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 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