Surface-discharge switches for high-performance closing applications

Results of experiments conducted to characterize the performance of a surface tracking switch employing surface discharge phenomena as a high-performance, self-closing, isolation switch for high-energy applications are described. These experiments, conducted under both dc and pulsed conditions, lead to a model of switch operation that enables the design of such switches for multi-megampere operation. This paper describes the successful implementation of a surface tracking switch as an operational component in several high-current pulsed power systems, and offers some insight into the operation of surface-tracking switches that may assist in future work to apply the technique as a triggered switch in very-high-energy and high-voltage systems.