Development of a 350kW, 10kV Pulse Power Converter for Capacitor Charging

This paper presents the development of a high-power high-voltage and high-frequency capacitor charger. A four element resonant converter that operates as a frequency controlled current source is utilized. The converter has zero-voltage switching for the primary side MOSFETs, zero-current switching for the output fast recovery rectifier diodes, and utilizes parasitics in the circuits. Basic operation of the circuit is presented followed by detailed implementation aspects - converter, power components, control, and thermal design. Experimental results obtained from testing of the fabricated prototype are presented.