The RFX energy transfer units

The reversed field pinch experiment (RFX) will make use of four energy transfer units in producing the plasma current. The design parameters of these units are 50 kA, 35 kV, with a duty cycle of 5 s every 10 min, and an I²t of 5×10⁹ A² s. The switching elements are based on vacuum interrupters with a self-produced axial magnetic field, with ± 1 ms of jitter in the mechanical operation of the actuator and an electrical life at the maximum current of at least 1500 interruptions. The counterpulse network is designed to extinguish the current in the interrupters with a mean value of 600 A/μs for the di/dt, which reduces to less than 100 A/μs near the current zero. The control and monitoring system is described, together with the interface to the main control system of the experiment