Design and performance of a current transformer for efficient liner implosions

Summary form only given. Proton radiography offers several advantages in the analysis of convergent geometry hydrodynamic experiments when compared to the more usual flash X-ray radiography and laser shadowgraphy. However, such an experiment must be fielded at the proton beam line source. This requirement places severe constraints on the size and thus the efficiency of an electrical pulsed power driver. Turchi suggested using a current transformer with a minimum inductance toroidal secondary, with the inner wall of the toroid as the liner. Work is presented showing the design and performance of such a small (/spl sim/18cm diameter) current transformer capable of delivering over 5MA to a 4g, 2.4 cm radius, liner. Such a liner will be accelerated to over 4km/sec before impacting a target at a radius of 0.5cm. These parameters are similar to experiments done on the Pegasus pulsed power facility using a large capacitor bank with a total system inductance of 28-34nH, depending on load geometry. The system presented here is able to achieve this performance with a compact, portable, capacitor bank storing 2500 at 100kV. The entire pulsed power driver consist of 3 Marxed pairs of Atlas capacitors connected via a fuse to the current transformer/liner, all mounted on a portable platform.