Evaluation of commercially available ignitrons as high-current, high-Coulomb transfer switches
New or improved switches are needed to meet the power requirements of multimegajoule glass laser Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) systems and Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) weapons (e.g., mass drivers, railguns, and high-powered pulse lasers). These devices must switch high peak currents (>1 x 10/sup 6/ A) and voltages (>20 kV), with an initial rate of current rise (di/dt) greater than 15 kA/..mu..s, while transferring large quantities of charge (>10/sup 3/ C/pulse). The generated pulse will typically have a pulse width of 0.5 to 1.0 ms, measured at the Full-Width Half-Maximum (FWHM) or the 50% amplitude points of the waveform. The simultaneous attainment of these parameters in a reparable switch has not yet been attained. An evaluation of commercially available ignitrons has been performed. All of tubes tested showed a rapid drop in ignitor resistance with time. Without the use of a high energy pulser to clear the ignitors, the tube lifetimes given in this report would have been substantially shorter. The performance of the size ''E'' ignitrons was disappointing in comparison to the performance of the size ''D,'' as the specifications of the ''E'' size, along with their greater physical size and mass, would tend to imply a similarly scaled capacity. Although the lifetested size ''D'' tube survived half as long as the size ''E'' tubes, the failure was mechanical in nature, and had the tube been physically stronger, we feel it would have matched the size ''E'' tubes in performance.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6287583
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-96203; CONF-870656-17; ON: DE87011883
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 6. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers pulsed power conference, Arlington, VA, USA, 29 Jun 1987; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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