Prototype IVA module

A prospective module has been designed for a future large inductive voltage adder (IVA) machine that would be suitable for the most demanding radiography carried out at AWE Aldermaston, Berkshire, U.K. This machine would operate at 13-15 MV. The prototype IVA module (PIM) machine has been built to test a single such module and may also provide the basis for other, lower voltage machines in the future. It consists of a single inductive cavity pulsed by a 10-[OMEGA] water dielectric Blumlein pulse forming line which is charged by a Marx generator. The Blumlein switch initially installed was a coaxial two stage Rimfire and Trigatron switch. A laser triggering configuration utilizing two radial switches, designed by Titan PSI, is also to be tested. The Blumlein PFL and its switch were tested using a copper sulphate resistive load and achieved a peak output voltage of 1.7 MV. The inductive cavity has been added and a pulse of 1.5-MV peak voltage has been successfully applied to it. Index Terms--Blumlein, inductive voltage adder (IVA), Metglas, radiography.