Optimization of Isentropic Compression Loads on Current-Adder Pulsed Power Accelerator Architectures
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID (United States)
The Thor pulsed power generator is being developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The design consists of up to 288 decoupled and transit time isolated capacitor-switch units, called “bricks”, that can be individually triggered to achieve a high degree of pulse tailoring for magnetically-driven isentropic compression experiments (ICE). The connecting transmission lines are impedance matched to the bricks, allowing the capacitor energy to be efficiently delivered to an ICE strip-line load with peak pressures of over 100 GPa. Thor will drive experiments to explore equation of state, material strength, and phase transition properties of a wide variety of materials. We present an optimization process for producing tailored current pulses, a requirement for many material studies, on the Thor generator. This technique, which is unique to the novel “current-adder” architecture used by Thor, entirely avoids the iterative use of complex circuit models to converge to the desired electrical pulse. We describe the optimization procedure for the Thor design and show results for various materials of interest. Also, we discuss the extension of these concepts to the megajoule-class Neptune machine design. Given this design, we are able to design shockless ramp-driven experiments in the 1 TPa range of material pressure.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 1562220
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--2016-8928; 647290
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English