Testing of a modular over-voltage trigger device for marx generators

Over-voltage triggering is a trigger method for Marx generators, which omits additional wear of electrode. Hence, it is suitable for triggered long-term operation of Marx generators in industrial applications as for example electroporation of plant cells in large scale. The trigger device replaces one or both charging coils between the 1^st and 2^nd stage of the Marx generator and superimposes an over-voltage to the 1^st stage´s spark gap. The device is powered by the charging current of the Marx generator. The design of an existing compact trigger device has a shortcoming concerning the scalability in order to adapt it to different Marx generator designs. Hence, a modular trigger device has been developed. This device consists of stacked stages, which enables scaling more easily. A 20-stage device has been built and successfully tested. The paper describes some design issues and testing of the modular trigger device.