Design, modeling, and verification of a high-pressure liquid dielectric switch for directed energy applications

A high-power liquid dielectric switch is being developed to satisfy the requirements for future directed energy applications. A flowing, high-pressure liquid dielectric was chosen for the design of a megavolt class switch operating at 100 pps. This paper reports on the design philosophy, modeling, and experimental results of a full size, single-shot prototype 250-300 kV concept validation test (CVT) switch which can transfer kilojoules per pulse. Analysis of design criteria and scaling for a compact, 100-pps, kilojoule, high-voltage switch are presented. Optimization studies indicate that a pressure range of 6.9-13.8 MPa (1000-2000 psi) appears to be ideally suited to a flowing dielectric rep-rate switch.