Rep-Rate Jitter and Electrode Erosion of a High Pressure Flowing Oil Switch

Abstract

A repetition rate switch has been developed at the University of Missouri for long service life applications at moderate energy levels. The switch was designed to study the effects of pressure, flow and charge voltage upon the breakdown performance of a synthetic avionics dielectric coolant known as poly-olefin. Experimental results at pressures from 3.45 to 10.34 MPa (500 to 1,500 psig) and flow rates from 0.315 to 0.694 L's-l (5 to 11 gpm) indicate the range of parameters chosen for examination does not limit the switch breakdown performance at a repetition rate of 15 pps. The electrodes were examined at 106 shots in order to estimate an electrode lifetime. The material removed, although significant, was not found to limit the performance of the switch over its test lifetime and with gap-spacing adjustments the switch was found to perform similarly to the performance observed early in the electrode lifetime. The electrodes are expected to last for more than 10^7 shots.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA465225

Entities

People

  • P. Norgard
  • R. D. Curry

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Contracts
  • Department Of Defense
  • Electrodes
  • Energy Levels
  • Flow Rate
  • Governments
  • High Pressure
  • Information Operations
  • Materials
  • Military Research
  • Missouri
  • Repetition Rate
  • Universities

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Electrochemical Surface Science
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster