All-solid-state trigger-less repetitive pulsed power generator utilizing semiconductor opening switch

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. Recently, the features of pulsed power, such as short pulse duration and high voltage, are fascinated in the field of industrial applications, for example, purification of the environment by pulse streamer discharge or electric field. For the sake of use in industrial applications, the pulsed power generator should have the following features; high-repetition-rate operation, high reproducibility of the pulse, reliability of the generator, compact size, long lifetime, maintenance-free and easy-to-use system. Semiconductor opening switch (SOS) is a kind of diodes that has the property of very short reverse-recovery time. With the proper forward and reverse pumping current, the SOS operates as an opening switch. In order to satisfy the desirable requirements mentioned above, we have developed the pulsed power generator utilizing SOS, designated as SOS generator. The SOS generator consists of three components; charging, pulse compression and pulse sharpening components. In the charging components, AC power supply (200 V, 60 Hz) is amplified to 400 V through the LC resonance circuit. Then, the voltage is amplified to 2.2 kV by the saturable transformer. The transformer is designed to be saturated at the peak voltage. Therefore the transformer operates as a closing switch transferring the energy to the next component. The transformer operates at 60 Hz synchronized with the frequency of the AC power supply without any kind of external trigger. In the pulse compression component, the high voltage of 75 kV is generated through the saturable transformers and capacitors. In the pulse sharpening component, the voltage pulse was sharpened by the SOS. The amplitude and the FWHM of the voltage pulse are 140 kV and 70 ns, respectively, into the resistive load of 300 Ohm. The-present pulsed power generator is capable of repetitive high-voltage short-pulse generation, realizing the high reliability, reproducibility and long lifetime.