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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Preparation and Evaluation of Hybrid Composites of Chemical Fuel and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Study of Thermopower Waves

Preparation and Evaluation of Hybrid Composites of Chemical Fuel and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Study of Thermopower Waves

Published on: April 10, 2015

Transportable high-energy high-power generator.

B M Novac¹, I R Smith, P Senior

¹Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|June 3, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new gigawatt pulsed power generator using twin exploding wire arrays offers a transportable, robust solution. This high-power generator achieves over 300 kV with a peak power exceeding 1.7 GW.

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Area of Science:

Physics
Electrical Engineering
Pulsed Power Systems

Background:

High-power applications demand transportable, simple, and robust gigawatt pulsed power generators.
Analysis indicates twin exploding wire arrays offer significant advantages for such systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and characterize a novel gigawatt pulsed power generator based on twin exploding wire array technology.
To evaluate the performance of a generator coupled with a high-energy capacitor bank.

Main Methods:

Utilized an H-configuration circuit with high-voltage ballast inductors and exploding wire arrays.
Integrated a high-energy capacitor bank and a high-voltage self-breakdown spark gap for load coupling.
Employed detailed numerical modeling for theoretical predictions and diagnostic measurements for validation.

Main Results:

Achieved output voltages exceeding 300 kV into a load resistance of a few tens of Ohms.
Generated impulses with a rise time of approximately 140 ns and peak power over 1.7 GW.
Experimental results showed good agreement with theoretical predictions from numerical modeling.

Conclusions:

The twin exploding wire array generator is a viable and advantageous technology for high-power applications.
The developed generator demonstrates robust performance and potential for scaling to more powerful transportable sources.
Further development is outlined for enhancing the power and energy capabilities of this transportable source.