Research of an electromagnetically actuated spark gap switch

Abstract

As an important part of pulsed power systems, high-voltage and high-current triggered spark gap switch and its trigger system are expected to achieve a compact structure. In this paper, a high-voltage, high-current, and compact electromagnetically actuated spark gap switch is put forward, and it can be applied as a part of an intense electron-beam accelerator (IEBA). A 24 V DC power supply is used to trigger the switch. The characteristics of the switch were measured for N2 when the gas pressure is 0.10-0.30 MPa. The experimental results showed that the voltage/pressure (V/p) curve of the switch was linear relationship. The operating ranges of the switch were 21%-96%, 21%-95%, 21%-95%, 19%-95%, 17%-95%, and 16%-96% of the switch's self-breakdown voltage when the gas pressures were 0.10, 0.14, 0.18, 0.22, 0.26, and 0.30 MPa, respectively. The switch and its trigger system worked steadily and reliably with a peak voltage of 30 kV, a peak current of 60 kA in the IEBA when the pressure of N2 in the switch was 0.30 MPa.