A reusable planar triggered spark-gap switch batched-fabricated with PCB technology for medium- and low-voltage pulse power systems

Abstract

Triggered spark-gap switch is a popular discharge switch for pulse power systems. Previous studies have focused on planarizing this switch using thin film techniques in order to meet the requirements of compact size in the systems. Such switches are one-shot due to electrodes being too thin to sufficiently resist spark-erosion. Additionally, these switches did not employ any structures in securing internal gas composition, resulting in inconsistent performance under harsh atmospheres. In this work, a novel planar triggered spark-gap switch (PTS) with a hermetically sealed cavity was batched-prepared with printed circuit board (PCB) technology, to achieve reusability with low cost. The proposed PTS was inspected by micro-computed tomography to ensure PCB techniques meet the requirements of machining precision. The results from electrical experiments demonstrated that PCB PTS were consistent and reusable with lifespan over 20 times. The calculated switch voltage and circuit current were consistent with those derived from real-world measurements. Finally, PCB PTS was used to introduce hexanitrostilbene (HNS) pellets in a pulse power system to verify its performance.