Alternator-driven, magnetically switched modulator
The technique of magnetically switching high-power pulses, first summarized by Melville many years ago, was recently revitalized with the development of amorphous magnetic alloys and the new power conditioning requirements of pulsed lasers and high-brightness particle accelerators. The most common magnetic switching technique for generating high-repetition-rate pulses is shown in Fig. 1(a) and consists of a dc power supply, a triggered switch (thyratron or solid-state), and a repeated network of magnetic switches and capacitors. The life of this type of pulser is limited by the aging of liquid and solid dielectric materials and by the reliability of the triggered switch. An alternator-driven, magnetically switched modulator differs from the conventional magnetic modulator in the replacement of the dc power supply and triggered switch with a high-frequency motor-generator set and an all-magnetic circuit, as shown in Fig. 1(b). The power conditioning network converts each cycle of the applied ac power into a single, compressed, unipolar pulse. Consequently, the modulator produces a train of pulses with an interpulse separation equal to the period of the alternator. Additional compression can be attained by the addition of successive stages of magnetic switching. The absence of active switches within the network improves the system reliability and extends the service life of the modulator to the limits of component insulation fatigue and alternator bearing wear. This style of magnetic pulse compression was first described by Melville and reproduced at LLNL in order to quantify the network efficiency, jitter and reliability when modern magnetic materials are employed.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5718931
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-94757; CONF-860674-8; ON: DE86012189
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 17. power modulator symposium, Seattle, WA, USA, 23 Jun 1986; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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