A 2.8 MV, 600 kA pulsed power driver constructed at the University of Missouri-Columbia

• Published in: 2007 IEEE 34th International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) p. 209
• Main Authors: Benwell, Andrew, Vangordon, James, Sullivan, Dustin, Hutsel, Brian, Kovaleski, Scott, Gahl, John
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-06-2007
• Subjects: Buildings; Capacitors; Impedance; Jitter; Power engineering and energy; Sparks; Spectroscopy; Switches; USA Councils; Voltage
• ISBN: 9781424409150; 1424409152
• ISSN: 0730-9244; 2576-7208
• DOI: 10.1109/PPPS.2007.4345515

Summary form only given. The University of Missouri has completed construction of a new facility for pulsed power experimentation. The pulsed driver is driven by a Marx bank consisting of 32, 100 kV, 3.1 muF capacitors. The Marx bank can store 450 kJ and is switched into any combination of one or up to four, parallel, 7 nF intermediate storage capacitors. The intermediate storage capacitors are switched with a high voltage spark gap switch into a resistive load. The driver is capable of delivering 2.8 MV at 600 kA to a 4 ohm load. Simulations indicate that the driver is capable of producing 1 MA through a load with lower impedance. Initial uses for the facility include experimentation on switch jitter and arc spectroscopy on a spark gap switch. The test results are also used in the characterization of the machine. Simulations of the driver capabilities are presented along with details of the initial results.