High-power testing of the EEV CX1936 and CX1937 thyratrons

Many repetitive pulsed power applications require high-voltage, high-power switching. Thyratrons are being developed in response to these needs. A high-voltage modulator testbed, using a recirculating energy technique, has been designed and built for testing these high-voltage thyratrons. The authors report the results of 10 kHz repetition rate testing of the CX1936 and CX1937 thyratrons manufactured by English Electric Valve. The CX1936 is a solid anode thyratron capable of conducting up to 55 A average current and holding off 105 kV. The CX1937 is a hollow anode version of the CX1936, and is therefore more tolerant to current reversal. Performance of the CX1936 appears promising. The thyratron could be operated at an average power of 1.2 MW at 10 kHz. At no time did recovery of the thyratron introduce difficulty in operating at 10 kHz. The CX1936 operated reliably up to 41 A average current. However, difficulty reaching voltages above 55 kV was experienced