Compact 200 kJ pulse power system with a simple crowbar circuit

A compact 200 kJ pulsed power system (PPS) was designed and constructed. The 200 kJ PPS is composed of four 22 kV, 50 kJ capacitor bank modules (CBM). Each 50 kJ CBM is connected in parallel to make 200 kJ PPS and it operates independently, also. By combining the four 50 kJ CBMs, a peak current of 140 kA with short load is obtained and pulse width is changed in the range of 400 - 2000 /spl mu/s. Design features of the 50 kJ CBMs and a new crowbar circuit are introduced. The crowbar circuit consists of triggered vacuum switch, crowbar resistor and a Rogowski coil. The electrical performances of the 200 kJ PPS, including the crowbar circuit, are investigated.