Plasma flow switch characterization for the Los Alamos Foil Implosion Project

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6083673

Bowers, R L; Brownell, J H; Greene, A E; Peterson, D L

The next system design under consideration for the Los Alamos Foil Implosion Project is projected to deliver tens of mega-amperes of electrical current produced by high-explosive driven flux compression generators on a time scale of about one microsecond to a load foil. The use of such generators, with time scales of order several tenths of a millisecond, leads to considerable pulse shaping problems. Previously it was noted that a commutating switch might serve as an efficient alternative to a closing switch in transferring current from a coaxial transmission line to a cylindrically imploding load. Research at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (AFWL) has met with considerable success in efficiently transferring currents of order 10 MA to an imploding liner using the plasma flow switch concept (PFS). Besides efficiently transferring current, the plasma flow switch protects the load region from high voltages generated by an opening switch until the current is present to provide magnetic insulation. For these reasons, a PFS is being investigated as the final pulse shaping step in the design. A series of capacitor bank experiments is also being fielded to help investigate physics issues and to benchmark the codes. 4 refs., 7 figs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6083673
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-89-2169; CONF-890710-2; ON: DE89014279
• Resource Relation: Conference: 5. international conference on megagauss magnetic field generation and related topics, Novosibirsk, USSR, 3 Jul 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
FOILS
IMPLOSIONS
PLASMA SWITCHES
CAPACITORS
EXPLOSIVES
MAGNETIC COMPRESSION
PULSE GENERATORS
COMPRESSION
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTION GENERATORS
SWITCHES
420800* - Engineering- Electronic Circuits & Devices- (-1989)
450100 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Chemical Explosions & Explosives