CLIA — A compact linear induction accelerator system

CLIA (Compact Linear Induction Accelerator) is a 750 kV, 10 kA, 60 ns, 200 Hz pulse generator that has been designed, constructed, and operated at Physics International. The CLIA system consists of (from the load back to the mains) a ten-cell linear induction voltage adder, ten magnetically switched water insulated pulse forming lines (PFL´s), a two-stage Magnetic Compression Unit (MCU), and thyratron-switched Intermediate Energy Store (IES), and Command Resonant Charge (CRC) units. This system was conceived to drive repetitive e-beam loads for various types of repetitive testing. A linear induction accelerator system was used because it allows all pulse compression to be done at moderate voltage (40 to 150 kV) and then uses the accelerator structure to add parallel voltage pulses into a single high voltage output (750 kV). Nowhere except at the load does a voltage of higher than 150 kV appear. This allows the switching to be done at moderate voltage and the use of hydrogen thyratrons and magnetic switches is possible. This generator has been in operation at Physics International for over a year and has achieved all its design goals. The design and operational characteristics of the accelerator will be described in this paper.