Design and Experiment Analysis of a Low Inductance Three-Electrode Field-Distortion Gas Switch

Abstract

A low inductance three-electrode field-distortion gas switch (TFGS) used for linear transformer drivers (LTDs) is developed and tested. Based on the experimental platform, the short-circuit inductance of a brick which consists of two 100-nF capacitors connected electrically in series with the TFGS is measured to be less than 151 nH. By changing the electrode materials, the self-breakdown and triggering characteristics of the TFGSs and the pollution on insulators are compared, respectively. The results show that when the main electrodes are made of WNiFe and the trigger electrode is stainless steel, the TFGS shows relatively excellent performance. When the self-breakdown voltage is about ±90 kV, the standard deviation is less than 4 kV; for a charging voltage of ±80 kV and by operating at 60% working coefficient, the jitter of the TFGS is 1.6 ns while triggered by a −120-kV pulse, and there is no prefire and no-fire when the TFGS operates continuously over 1000 shots.