Abstract
In this paper, the conduction process of the Laser Triggered Vacuum Switch (LTVS) is studied. First, the velocity, density, and temperature of the initial plasma in the LTVS are simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics software. It is found that the generation and development of the initial plasma are at the ns level. Second, the pre-breakdown current test circuit of the LTVS is established. It is found that when the applied voltage at both ends of the switch is 60 V, the multi-rod LTVS is successfully conducted, and then, the current becomes the conduction current and the voltage applied at both ends of the switch decreases significantly. Finally, the images of the LTVS vacuum arc are taken. With the increase in laser energy, the more abundant the initial plasma is, the lower the required gap voltage is. When the current increases to a certain value, the vacuum arc appears in multiple discharge channels, which makes the arc have a diffusion morphology. It is found that the current withstand capacity of a single channel is about 50 kA. As the multi-rod LTVS has three channels, its current withstand capacity can reach 150 kA.
Highlights
The Laser Triggered Vacuum Switch (LTVS) adopts pulse laser trigger mode, which can realize remote controllable triggering, effectively reduce electromagnetic interference, and avoid false trigger.1,2 Using vacuum as an insulating medium, it can withstand high voltages and conduct at low voltage, and its insulating medium can recover quickly.3,4 For the first time, Brannon used potassium chloride (KCl) and titanium powder (Ti) as target materials for the LTVS, and the switch gap distance was only 0.5 mm.5 Sugawara compared the electrical conductivity of copper and aluminum electrode materials, and their switch gap distance was only 2 mm.6 After the initial plasma is generated, the arc conduction process needs to be further analyzed, which is of great significance for the practical development of a long gap high voltage LTVS
In order to lower the laser energy, a mixture of KCl and Ti is considered as the target material because of good temperature–steam pressure characteristics and low ionization energy of KCl, and Ti is used to absorb the laser radiation
If the discharge particles generated during the initial plasma collision with the electrode are not sufficient, the LTVS cannot be conducted
Summary
The Laser Triggered Vacuum Switch (LTVS) adopts pulse laser trigger mode, which can realize remote controllable triggering, effectively reduce electromagnetic interference, and avoid false trigger. Using vacuum as an insulating medium, it can withstand high voltages and conduct at low voltage, and its insulating medium can recover quickly. For the first time, Brannon used potassium chloride (KCl) and titanium powder (Ti) as target materials for the LTVS, and the switch gap distance was only 0.5 mm. Sugawara compared the electrical conductivity of copper and aluminum electrode materials, and their switch gap distance was only 2 mm. After the initial plasma is generated, the arc conduction process needs to be further analyzed, which is of great significance for the practical development of a long gap high voltage LTVS. Using vacuum as an insulating medium, it can withstand high voltages and conduct at low voltage, and its insulating medium can recover quickly.. Sugawara compared the electrical conductivity of copper and aluminum electrode materials, and their switch gap distance was only 2 mm.. After the initial plasma is generated, the arc conduction process needs to be further analyzed, which is of great significance for the practical development of a long gap high voltage LTVS. In order to explore the conduction process of the LTVS, including the formation of initial plasma, the gradual development of pre-breakdown current, and the formation of the vacuum arc, the paper preliminarily completed the analysis of the conduction process of the LTVS. The vacuum arc gets accumulated, and it is hard to withstand high current in the flat electrode LTVS. In order to lower the laser energy, a mixture of KCl and Ti is considered as the target material because of good temperature–steam pressure characteristics (which will be evaporated into gas when the temperature reaches a certain value) and low ionization energy of KCl, and Ti is used to absorb the laser radiation
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