Triggered Spark Gap Command Charger for High Repetition Rate Applications

Author

Siew, Wee-Ong ; Marimuthu, Jayaseelan ; Chin, Oi-Hoong ; Tou, Teck-Yong

Author_Institution

Fac. of Eng., Multimedia Univ., Cyberjaya

Volume

35

Issue

2

fYear

2007

fDate

4/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

479

Lastpage

483

Abstract

A normal dc resonant charger was transformed into a command-mode charger by connecting a spark gap at its output terminal, prior to the load circuit. This charging spark gap was triggered by a transformer connected in series, pulsed by a fast spark gap circuit. Noise suppression schemes were implemented throughout the command charger, in particular around the charging spark gap to order prevent misfiring. The ringing noise and spikes from the capacitor discharge and those of the stray capacitance of coaxial cable were strongly suppressed by a simple LCR circuit so that these would not induce self-breakdown in the charging spark gap. This triggered spark gap command charger was tested to 2 kHz and < 10 kV with a resistive load. A transversely excited atmospheric CO₂ laser was operated up to 300 Hz and (10-15) kV that was limited only by the flow rate of the laser gas mixture

Keywords

coaxial cables; pulsed power supplies; spark gaps; transformers; 10 to 15 kV; 2 kHz; 300 Hz; DC resonant charger; LCR circuit; capacitor discharge; coaxial cable; command-mode charger; laser gas mixture; noise suppression; resistive load; stray capacitance; transformer; transversely excited atmospheric laser; triggered spark gap; Capacitance; Capacitors; Circuit noise; Gas lasers; Joining processes; Pulse circuits; Pulse transformers; RLC circuits; Resonance; Sparks; Command charging; noise suppression; spark gap; transverse air flow; transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) $hbox{CO}_{2}$ laser;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-3813

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TPS.2007.893260

Filename

4154904