High voltage coaxial switch

Patent · Tue Jul 19 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:864628

Rink, John P ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos, NM

A coaxial high voltage, high current switch having a solid cylindrical cold cathode coaxially surrounded by a thin hollow cylindrical inner electrode and a larger hollow cylindrical outer electrode. A high voltage trigger between the cathode and the inner electrode causes electrons to be emitted from the cathode and flow to the inner electrode preferably through a vacuum. Some of the electrons penetrate the inner electrode and cause a volumetric discharge in the gas (which may be merely air) between the inner and outer electrodes. The discharge provides a low impedance path between a high voltage charge placed on the outer electrode and a load (which may be a high power laser) coupled to the inner electrode. For high repetition rate the gas between the inner and outer electrodes may be continuously exchanged or refreshed under pressure.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: Rink, John P. (Los Alamos, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 4394622
• Application Number: 06/269,457
• OSTI ID: 864628
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/327/313/315/333/
air
cathode
causes
charge
charge placed
coaxial
coaxially
cold
cold cathode
continuously
coupled
current
current switch
cylindrical
cylindrical inner
cylindrical outer
discharge
electrode
electrode preferably
electrodes
electrons
emitted
exchanged
flow
gas
hollow
hollow cylindrical
impedance
inner
inner electrode
larger
laser
load
merely
outer
outer electrode
outer electrodes
path
penetrate
placed
power
power laser
preferably
pressure
provides
rate
refreshed
repetition
repetition rate
solid
solid cylindrical
surrounded
switch
trigger
vacuum
voltage
volumetric
volumetric discharge