Frequent vacuum commutator

The commuting of large pulse currents of 1-100 kA with pulse duration 0.1-1000 μs on the continuous pulse repetition rate up to 100 kHz is important at present. Up to the present there is no other universal device working satisfactorily in the mentioned condition range and providing not less then 10⁹ switchings on. The vacuum discharger unlike the thyratrons, electron tubes and pseudo spark discharges can operate satisfactorily in all the parameter range. It has minimum dissipated power compared with other types of commutator. The only shortage of the vacuum commutator is its low limit. It is connected with the bounding up of the main discharge passage with the firing device elements and the destruction of the latter. We developed a new method of firing of vacuum discharge. This method was under test. The conditions were the following: current amplitude 0.5-10 kA, duration 0.1-500 μs, continuous pulse repetition rate up to 10 kHz. The deviation of the leading edge of a pulse with the pulse duration 0.1 μs was 5 ns, current of firing device 5-20 A, limit of pulses 10⁷-10⁹. The limit of 10¹¹ and more is within the bounds of possibility if the junction of the firing device is finished