Basic Studies of Gases for Fast Switches.
Abstract
There has been increasing interest in recent years in the possibility of using inductive energy storage devices as a means of storing and transferring energy in numerous repetitive, pulsed-power applications. The major advantages to be realized using this technology are that the intrinsic energy density of these devices are of the older of 100 to 1000 times those for capacitive systems and that this energy can be transferred to the load on the very short-time scale of a few nanoseconds. The major technological problem to be faced when using this type of energy storage system is in the design of a repetitive opening switch. A leading contender for this switching concept is an externally sustained diffuse gas discharge operating at gas pressures of one to several atmospheres. Two possible electron sources have been proposed for the external control of the discharge current. They are by means of gas ionization by pulsed electron beams (e-beams) or by resonant ionization processes of the gaseous medium using a pulsed high power laser. A number of operating parameters may be defined for these types of switches which are common to both switching concepts. These parameters can then form a basis for tailoring specific gases and mixtures to optimize these operating conditions as nearly as possible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA126343
Entities
People
- L. G. Christophorou
- Susan R. Hunter
Organizations
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory