Design and testing of a high pressure, rep-rate, liquid dielectric switch for directed energy applications

A high power, rep-rate, liquid dielectric switch has been designed to meet future requirements for a variety of directed energy applications. A flowing, high-pressure liquid dielectric was chosen for the design of a megavolt class switch intended to operate continuously at pulse repetition rates in excess of 100 pps. This paper reports on the design efforts and initial testing of a full size prototype, 250 kV switch. The design capitalizes on lessons learned from experiments with a single shot concept validation high pressure liquid dielectric switch. Design efforts include extensive electric field modeling, circuit model simulations, and fluid flow simulations. The design facilitates fast rise times, quick switch recovery, and long electrode life. Rep-rate testing of the high pressure dielectric switch includes testing at rep-rates up to 100 pps and voltages up to 250 kV. The design of the pulser used to test the rep-rate switch is described in a separate conference paper. Switch diagnostics include D-dot probes and a Rogowski current probe. Results from the experimental switch tests will be compared to circuit models and the data presented showing the operating characteristics of the switch for various pressure ranges