Operating Characteristics of a High-Current Demountable Cs-Ba Tacitron
Abstract
Tacitrons[l,2] are triode gas-discharge tubes, similar in construction to thyratrons. The primary functional difference between a tacitron and a thyratron is that the tacitron is designed to be completely grid-controlled, whereas a thyratron has grid control only over ignition. Demountable cesium-barium (Cs-Ba) tacitrons have exhibited very low forward voltage drops in the range of a few volts, hold-off voltages greater than 200 V, and average conduction current densities greater than 10 A/cm2. These characteristics yield an average power switching density on the order of 103 W/cm2 approaching 95% peak switching efficiencyl31. This parameter regime places the Cs-Ba tacitron in the range of conventional solid-state devices, with the advantage that the tacitron should reliably operate in extremes of temperature and radiation. The high-current tacitron has been designed to modulate average currents in the range of 100 to 200 A, with the intent of demonstrating continuous power conditioning capability in the kilowatt range.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA639619
Entities
People
- D. B. Morris
- G. B. Masten
- I. N. Djachiachvili
- J. M. Gahl
Organizations
- United States Air Force Academy