High-repetition-rate hydrogen spark gap

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/16.75197· OSTI ID:5762631

Moran, S L; Hardesty, L W ^[1]

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1. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Code F-45, Dahlgren Lab., Dahlgren, VA (US)

This paper reports on the Naval Surface Warfare Center which has been studying the recovery of pressurized spark-gap switches for several years. A two-pulse technique has been used in which the first pulse breaks down the gap and the second is used to determine recovery. For an unblown spark gap triggered near self-break, typical recovery times are about 10 ms for most gases such as air, nitrogen, and SF{sub 6}. We have found that using hydrogen gas, with its high thermal diffusivity, allows the recovery time to be an order of magnitude faster, or about 1 ms. Recovery of the switch can be made even faster by triggering the switch well below self-break. Recovery time can be decreased by making the operating voltage significantly less than the dc breakdown voltage, allowing voltage to be re-applied while the gas is still hot. Tests with hydrogen have shown that recovery times (to the operating voltages) can be further reduced an order of magnitudes when the gap is undervolted by approximately 50%. Recent tests have demonstrated, for the first time, 100-{mu}s recovery of an unblown spark gap using high-pressure hydrogen in a trigatron configuration. Tests were performed in 1987 at 120 kV, 200 A, at 5 J of energy. In 1988 recovery was demonstrated at 60 kV, 35 kA, 200 J using a 200-ns pulse-forming line where voltage was re-applied in a 1-cos waveform (resonant charge) during the entire recovery period. In 1989 recovery at high energies was demonstrated at 50 kV, 170 kA, 12.5 kJ with 15-{mu}s pulses. Plans are underway to test the switch at 600 kV.

• OSTI ID: 5762631
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States) Vol. 38:4; ISSN IETDA; ISSN 0018-9383
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
080800 -- Hydrogen-- Properties & Composition
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
240100* -- Power Systems-- (1990-)
BREAKDOWN
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
HIGH PRESSURE
HYDROGEN
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANNING
PLASMA SWITCHES
POWER TRANSMISSION
PULSE TECHNIQUES
SPARK GAPS
SWITCHES
THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES