Development And Miniaturization Of High-charge Transfer Switches And High-current Pulse Shaping Inductors

The pulsed power sources for many high-energy applications deliver high-current pulses of relatively long duration. Electromagnetic (EM) gun sources and electrothermal chemical (ETC) gun sources, for example, deliver currents ranging from 100 kA to 500 kA on the 1-ms to 10-ms time frame. Providing pulse shaping and switching for these high currents presents a significant engineering challenge. The volume occupied by inductors and switches in pulsed power machines has previously been inconsequential compared to that of the energy storage capacitors. However, emphasis on miniaturization of pulsed power drivers has lead to recent advances in capacitor energy density such that inductor and switch volumes are becoming significant. This trend toward increasingly more compact systems necessitates the development of miniature components required for future high energy density systems. This paper summarizes recent developments in both inductor and switch design at Physics International Company (PI).