RIMFIRE: A Six Megavolt Laser-Triggered Gas-Filled Switch for PBFA II

reportActive / Technical Report | Accession Number: ADA638624 | Open PDF

Abstract:

We have developed a new multiple-stage laser-triggered sF 6 spark gap, which has performed well in tests at nearly 6 megavolts and half a megampere. It has survived many hundreds of shots between 5 and 5.7 MV the highest voltage tested. A 25 millijoule ultraviolet laser pulse arriving in its trigger gap reliably closes the whole switch in 20 nanoseconds with 0.4 ns 1-sigma jitter. The closing time has a low dependence on the applied voltage, about 0.9 ns of self-break voltage. For a 10 mJ laser pulse, the jitter is 1.5 ns and the slope is 1.0 ns. No prefires have occurred the estimated prefire rate at 90 of self-breaking voltage is less than 0.1. The switch inductance is 400 nanohenries, of which about 100 nh comes from the spark channels. The switch is 68 em long and 61 em in diameter.

Author(s):
Humphreys, D. R. ; Penn, K. J. ; Cap, J. S. ; Adams, R. G. ; Seamen, J. F. ; Turman, B. N.
Author Organization(s):
SANDIA NATIONAL LABS ALBUQUERQUE NM
Supplementary Note:
See also ADM002371. 2013 IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, Digest of Technical Papers 1976-2013, and Abstracts of the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science. Held in San Francisco, CA on 16-21 June 2013. U.S. Government or Federal Purpose Rights License.
Pagination:
0005

Security Markings

DOCUMENT & CONTEXTUAL SUMMARY

Distribution:
Approved For Public Release
Distribution Statement:
Approved For Public Release; Distribution Is Unlimited.

RECORD

Collection: TR
Identifying Numbers
Contract/Grant Number(s):
DE-AC04-76DP00789
Monitor Series:
DOE
 Subject Terms
Modernization Areas:
Microelectronics
Communities of Interest:
Energy and Power Technologies
Descriptor(s):
*PARTICLE ACCELERATORS, *PARTICLE BEAMS, *SPARK GAPS, *SWITCHES, ELECTRODES, GASES, LASERS
Field(s)/Group(s):
Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Particle Accelerators, Combustion and Ignition
Keyword(s):
LASER TRIGGERED GAS FILLED SWITCHES, PBFA(PARTICLE BEAM FUSION ACCELERATORS), RIMFIRE
Report Date:
1985 Jun 01
Creation Date:
2016 Oct 17