Preliminary design of atlas pulsed power machine. Final report
During the contract period from March 95 to March 96 I participated in the preliminary design of the Atlas pulsed power machine. As part of this task I performed of the order of 1000 circuit simulations for many different bank configurations, opening switches, and loads, and about 100 electrostatic field calculations. Results of the calculations were provided at regular Atlas design meetings or in the form of memorandums. I have almost completed the development of a 2D disk transmission line code to more accurately calculate asymmetric transient current and voltage caused by azimuthal variations, including switch timing jitter and local arc faults. This code is attached as a subroutine to the circuit simulation program. The purpose for most of the simulations was to provide information on bank damping requirements and load energy ranges for the different circuit configurations. A minimum transmission line insulation depth was determined from calculating the maximum expected dynamic load back voltage (I{times}{sup dL}/{sub dt}). Other simulations included fault effects, transmission line heating effects (including diffusion, melting, vaporization, ionization), and transmission line transients under various conditions. The line fault simulations using a lumped constant approximation to the 2D disk line provided useful information but even with about 600 elements, it has an upper limit on mode frequencies and tends to exaggerate some modes. Electrostatic (2D) field calculations were used to estimate fields of the transmission lines, insulators, and rail gap switches. Design of conductor surface contours to minimize the field near an insulator stack was one result of these calculations. Effects of biasing and insulator modifications of the rail gap switch was determined.
- Research Organization:
- Sumner Associates, Santa Fe, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 248483
- Report Number(s):
- LA-SUB-96-74; ON: DE96011877
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 3 Apr 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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