A voltage-division-type low-jitter self-triggered repetition-rate switch.

Abstract

A voltage-division-type (V/N) low-jitter self-triggered multi-stage switch is put forward. It comprises of a triggered corona gap, several quasi-uniform-field gaps, and an inversion inductor. When the corona gap is in the stage of self-breakdown, the multi-stage gaps are triggered and the switch is closed via an over-voltage. This type of V/N switch has the advantage of compact structure since the auxiliary components like the gas-blowing system and the triggered system are eliminated from the whole system. It also has advantages such as low breakdown jitter and high energy efficiency. The dependence of the self-triggered voltage on the over-voltage factor and the switch operating voltage is deduced. A switch of this type is designed and fabricated and experiments to research its characteristics are conducted. The results show that this switch can operate on a voltage of 1 MV at 50 Hz and can generate 1000 successive pulses with a jitter as low as 3% and an energy efficiency as high as 90%. This V/N switch can work under a high repetition rate with a long lifetime.