Ionization tube simmer current circuit
A highly efficient flash lamp simmer current circuit utilizes a fifty percent duty cycle square wave pulse generator to pass a current over a current limiting inductor to a full wave rectifier. The DC output of the rectifier is then passed over a voltage smoothing capacitor through a reverse current blocking diode to a flash lamp tube to sustain ionization in the tube between discharges via a small simmer current. An alternate embodiment of the circuit combines the pulse generator and inductor in the form of an FET off line square wave generator with an impedance limited step up output transformer which is then applied to the full wave rectifier as before to yield a similar simmer current.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5373215
- OSTI ID:
- 869649
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Active lamp pulse driver circuit
Reversing-counterpulse repetitive-pulse inductive storage circuit
Related Subjects
alternate
alternate embodiment
applied
blocking
blocking diode
capacitor
circuit
combines
current
current circuit
current limit
current limiting
cycle
dc
dc output
diode
discharges
duty
duty cycle
efficient
embodiment
fet
fifty
fifty percent
flash
flash lamp
form
generator
highly
highly efficient
impedance
inductor
ionization
lamp
limited
limiting
line
output
output transformer
pass
passed
percent
pulse
pulse generator
rectifier
reverse
similar
simmer
simmer current
smoothing
square
square wave
step
sustain
transformer
tube
utilizes
via
voltage
wave
wave generator
wave pulse
wave rectifier
yield