title: Reversible, high-voltage square-wave pulse generator for triggering spark gaps.
abstract: A design is presented for a reversible, square-pulse generator that employs coaxial cables for charge storage and pulse formation and a thyratron as the switch. The generator has a nominal output voltage of 5-30 kV and a pulse duration determined by the cable's physical length. Two variations are presented: (1) a single-stage one consisting of cable that is charged via its shield on one end and discharged with a thyratron on the opposite end and (2) a two-stage one having an inverting circuit that uses a coaxial cable to reverse the polarity of the pulse. The generator operates with "flying shields," i.e., high-voltage pulses also propagate on the outside of the cables; this calls for a dedicated insulation that avoids breakdown between sections of the cable's shield. The rise time obtained is mostly dictated by the switching time of the thyratron; with the one we used in the tests, rise times in the range of 30-40 ns were obtained. We present the results obtained in the implementation of the generators as well as its application to fire a large Marx generator.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Energia, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Avenida San Pablo 180, 02200 Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robledo-Martinez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cuellar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Meza
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guzmán
mesh_terms: D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*