Operating Specifications for a Rod Anode, Low Inductance, High Power MITL
Abstract
A new magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) has been successfully tested on the PITHON generator at peak currents up to 3 MA with the FWHM of 160 ns. This low inductance MITL (water line to load = 19 nH) features an anode which is constructed of 120 stainless steel rods 6.3 mm in diameter and 27 cm long (20 cm < r < 47 em). The advantages of this rod anode are that it provides a high conductance pumping path of the anode-to-cathode (A-K) gap, it is simple to repair, and it provides access for erosion switch plasma injection. The inductance penalty of the rods was found to be negligible. The current lost along the MITL, with an imploding plasma as the load, was measured for several test conditions including 8 mm and 6 mm constant A-K gap spacings, use of erosion switches, early time asymmetric current, and enhanced prepulse. An array of Faraday collectors was used to determine the radial position of the current losses. The percentage of current lost was 2% at peak current and 7% at the implosion time for the optimum operating conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA638394
Entities
People
- C. Gilman
- M. Di Capua
- P. Sincerny
- R. Stringfield
- S. Ashby
- Scott W. Wong
- T. Peters
- T. Sheridan