A series thyristor switch driving a multi-stage ferrite pulse compressor for copper-vapour-laser application

A small series thyristor switch charges the primary capacitor of a pulse forming network which comprises a fast series thyristor switch and a double stage `simultaneous transfer´ ferrite core pulse compressor. This system delivers 200 mJ of energy with a rise time of 50 ns at a repetition rate of 7 kHz to a copper-vapor laser. The peak output voltage is approximately 11 kV. The fast thyristor switch controls 1 μs current pulses with a peak value of 100 A at a peak rate of current rise of 200 A/μs, placing a relatively low stress on the thyristors and thereby insuring a long expected life span. Even with the compressor, material costs of this total system are less than the estimated cost of a more highly stressed series thyristor system, without compressor. It is concluded that the device considered here is a viable replacement for a thyratron switch