Spark gap device for precise switching

Patent · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:865176

Boettcher, Gordon E ^[1]

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1. Albuquerque, NM

A spark gap device for precise switching of an energy storage capacitor into an exploding bridge wire load is disclosed. Niobium electrodes having a melting point of 2,415 degrees centrigrade are spaced apart by an insulating cylinder to define a spark gap. The electrodes are supported by conductive end caps which, together with the insulating cylinder, form a hermetically sealed chamber filled with an inert, ionizable gas, such as pure xenon. A quantity of solid radioactive carbon-14 within the chamber adjacent the spark gap serves as a radiation stabilizer. The sides of the electrodes and the inner wall of the insulating cylinder are spaced apart a sufficient distance to prevent unwanted breakdown initiation. A conductive sleeve may envelop the outside of the insulating member from the midpoint of the spark gap to the cap adjacent the cathode. The outer metallic surfaces of the device may be coated with a hydrogen-impermeable coating to lengthen the shelf life and operating life of the device. The device breaks down at about 1,700 volts for input voltage rates up to 570 volts/millisecond and allows peak discharge currents of up to 3,000 amperes from a 0.3 microfarad energy storage capacitor for more than 1,000 operations.

• Research Organization: AT & T CORP
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4475055
• OSTI ID: 865176
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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000
415
570
700
active carbon
adjacent
allows
amperes
apart
breakdown
breaks
bridge
cap
capacitor
caps
carbon-14
cathode
centrigrade
chamber
chamber adjacent
chamber filled
charge current
coated
coating
conductive
conductive sleeve
currents
cylinder
define
degrees
degrees centrigrade
device
discharge
discharge current
discharge currents
disclosed
distance
electrodes
energy
energy storage
envelop
exploding
filled
form
gap
gap device
gas
hermetically
hermetically seal
hermetically sealed
hydrogen-impermeable
inert
initiation
inner
inner wall
input
input voltage
insulating
ionizable
ionizable gas
lengthen
life
load
melting
metallic
metallic surface
metallic surfaces
microfarad
midpoint
millisecond
niobium
operating
operating life
operations
outer
outer metal
outside
peak
precise
precise switching
prevent
pure
quantity
radiation
radioactive
rates
sealed
sealed chamber
serves
shelf
shelf life
sleeve
solid
solid radioactive
spaced
spaced apart
spark
spark gap
stabilizer
storage
storage capacitor
sufficient
sufficient distance
supported
surfaces
switching
unwanted
voltage
volts
wall
wire
xenon