Experiments with a radial multichannel pseudospark switch for extremely high Coulomb transfer

Radial multichannel pseudospark switches for extremely high-charge transfer were designed, constructed, and tested. The characteristics of the switches were measured for different electrode geometries and materials in hydrogen and helium as function of gas pressure. The switches were operated in a 100 kJ capacitor bank and conducted an effective charge up to 31 C. A sealed-off radial multichannel pseudospark switch was also manufactured and tested with a 300 kJ capacitor bank. The switch was successfully tested up to 105 kA peak current and 78 C charge transfer. The experimental results demonstrated that a radial multichannel pseudospark switch with SiC electrodes and triggered by a high dielectric trigger has the capability of extremely high charge transfer under pulsed operation.