1. Impedance-matched Marx generators
- Author
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G. R. McKee, T. D. Mulville, M. L. Wisher, J. K. Moore, David Reisman, K. R. LeChien, M. E. Cuneo, M. E. Sceiford, E. W. Breden, S. A. Lewis, Michael G. Mazarakis, D. J. Muron, Mark E. Savage, Brian Stoltzfus, K. N. Austin, Brian Hutsel, and William A. Stygar more...
- Subjects
Physics ,Nuclear and High Energy Physics ,Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) ,010308 nuclear & particles physics ,Center (category theory) ,Order (ring theory) ,Surfaces and Interfaces ,Conical surface ,Topology ,01 natural sciences ,010305 fluids & plasmas ,law.invention ,Conductor ,Capacitor ,law ,0103 physical sciences ,lcsh:QC770-798 ,lcsh:Nuclear and particle physics. Atomic energy. Radioactivity ,Electrical impedance ,Prime power ,Linear transformer driver - Abstract
We have conceived a new class of prime-power sources for pulsed-power accelerators: impedance-matched Marx generators (IMGs). The fundamental building block of an IMG is a brick, which consists of two capacitors connected electrically in series with a single switch. An IMG comprises a single stage or several stages distributed axially and connected in series. Each stage is powered by a single brick or several bricks distributed azimuthally within the stage and connected in parallel. The stages of a multistage IMG drive an impedance-matched coaxial transmission line with a conical center conductor. When the stages are triggered sequentially to launch a coherent traveling wave along the coaxial line, the IMG achieves electromagnetic-power amplification by triggered emission of radiation. Hence a multistage IMG is a pulsed-power analogue of a laser. To illustrate the IMG approach to prime power, we have developed conceptual designs of two ten-stage IMGs with $LC$ time constants on the order of 100 ns. One design includes 20 bricks per stage, and delivers a peak electrical power of 1.05 TW to a matched-impedance $1.22\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ load. The design generates 113 kV per stage and has a maximum energy efficiency of 89%. The other design includes a single brick per stage, delivers 68 GW to a matched-impedance $19\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ load, generates 113 kV per stage, and has a maximum energy efficiency of 90%. For a given electrical-power-output time history, an IMG is less expensive and slightly more efficient than a linear transformer driver, since an IMG does not use ferromagnetic cores. more...
- Published
- 2017
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