Electrical design and operation of the PHELIX pulsed power system

Abstract

The Precision High Energy-density Liner Implosion Experiment, PHELIX, is a pulsed power driver capable of delivering multi-megampere currents to cylindrical loads. The PHELIX hardware does include novel design features to provide a high energy conversion efficiency of approximately 15 megamperes output current per megajoule of stored energy. This is achieved by a rail gap switched low inductance Marx design (resistively damped) driving a multi-filar air core pulse transformer. The Marx output cables form the toroidal transformer that is an integral part the disc line and removable load cassette assembly. The transformer and disc line uses conformal insulation methods and does not require replacement after each shot, the transformer is completely reusable. Load cassettes can be easily exchanged to facilitate experimental variation. PHELIX is self-contained within its own transport container and Faraday cage that can be moved from the maintenance building to the LANSCE P-rad accelerator facility to perform multi-pulse radiography. This paper will detail the electrical and mechanical design of the Marx and multi-filar transformer assemblies as well as presenting the achieved operational performance to date.