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Many research fields need special high-voltage pulses in pulsed power applications, which are different from typical rectangular pulses. In this paper, a high-voltage waveform modulator of two methods using a solid-state Marx generator has been developed and tested. Instead of manufacturing a generator with a specialized structure, the modulator can control a general Marx generator by low-voltage programmable logic devices to produce an irregular but controllable high-voltage triangular pulse with pulse length of ~4.5 μs and peak voltage of ~123 kV. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When driving capacitive loads, pulses with steep falling edges are difficult to obtain using conventional pulsed power modulators, which also makes them unsuitable for operating at higher frequencies. In this paper, a repetitive high voltage pulse adder is described, which can generate nearly rectangular pulses even with capacitive loads. This pulse adder is based on solid-state switches, and each power stage contains two Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs): one set which outputs high voltage pulses and the other set which is used to dissipate charges stored in the load and distributed capacitors. Testing the proposed pulse adder with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) loads, nearly rectangular pulses are obtained. In our present work, a 40-stage modulator has been built and successfully operates at an output voltage of 30 kV and a repetitive frequency of 20 kHz. The rise and fall times are less than 200 ns, and a minimum pulse width of 6 μs was obtained. This prototype has been applied in DBD experiment research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the design of a compact and highly repetitive pulsed power modulator based on semiconductor switches. Output specifications of the proposed modulator are as follows: variable output pulse voltage, 1-10 kV; width, 1-10 μs; pulse repetition rate (PRR), 1-50,000 pps; and average output power, 10 kW. The proposed solid-state pulsed power modulator has two main parts: an IGBT stack that hasa gate drive circuit for the pulse output with a variable pulse width and repetition rate, and a capacitor charger that has a controllable output voltage. To connect all the storage capacitors in a series for high voltage pulses, a simple and reliable IGBT stack structure was proposed based on the Marx generator. In addition, the gate driver circuit, which supplies power and signals to all the IGBTs simultaneously, was introduced. This providesa superior protection function against the arc and the short. To charge the storage capacitors, a novel 10 kW (10 kV, 1 A) high voltage capacitor charger with the combined advantageof a series-loaded resonant converter and a ZVS (zero-voltage-switching) full-bridge pulse width modulation (PWM) converter was proposed and designed especially for the solid-state pulsed power modulator. Theexperiment results verified that the proposed scheme and structure can be used effectively for a high voltage pulsed power modulator that requires variable voltage, repetition rate, and pulse width, depending on the process of the applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper athree-stage pulse generator architecture capable of generating high voltage, high current pulses is reported and system issues are presented. Design choices and system dynamics are explained both qualitatively and quantitatively with discussion sections followed by the presentation of closed-form expressions and numerical analysis that provide insight into the system?s operation. Analysis targeted at optimizing performance focuses on diode opening switch pumping, energy efficiency, and compensation of parasitic reactances. A compact system based on these design guidelines has been built to output 8 kV, 5 ns pulses into 50 ?. Output risetimes below 1 ns have been achieved using two different compression techniques. At only 1.5 kg, this light and compact system shows promise for a variety of pulsed power applications requiring the long lifetime, low jitter performance of a solid state pulse generator that can produce fast, high voltage pulses at high repetition rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents operational data and parameters of the newest generation of polyphase resonant high voltage converter modulator (HVCM) as developed and delivered to the KAERI 100 MeV "PEFP" accelerator. The KAERI design realizes improvements from the SNS and SLAC designs. The present KAERI system operates two parallel THALES TH2089F 350 MHz klystrons with total power draw of 50 amperes at 105 kV. An additional 3 klystron system operating at 105 kV and 75 A is also being considered for the high energy sections of this accelerator. In these systems, to improve the IGBT switching performance, the HVCMs will be fitted with artificial zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) networks at turn-off. This new method of artificial ZVS should result in a 6 fold reduction of IGBT switching losses. This will improve the HCVM conversion efficiency to better than 95% at full average power, which is 500 kW for the 2 klystron system and 750 kW for the 3 klystron system. The artificial ZVS is accomplished by placing a soft switching capacitor network across the resonant boost transformer primary winding. This low loss snubber circuit reduces the dv/dt across the IGBTs at turn-off. As the transformer input busswork is extremely low inductance (<10 nH), the single network acts like it is across each IGBT collector-emitter terminal of the 4 transistor H-bridge switching network. We will review these topological improvements and the overall system as delivered to the KAERI accelerator with details of the installed operational results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]