A double output pulsed high current thyratron driver.

Area of Science:

• * Electrical Engineering
• * Pulsed Power Systems
• * Laser Technology

Background:

• * High power multi-grid thyratrons require specialized drivers for reliable operation.
• * Existing driver technologies may not meet the demanding pulse characteristics for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To design and develop a novel double output pulsed high current driver for high power multi-grid thyratrons.
• * To characterize the driver's performance, including current, voltage, duration, delay, rate of rise, and jitter.
• * To validate the driver's functionality in a practical application, such as powering a CO(2) laser.

Main Methods:

• * Development of a driver circuit capable of generating specific current and voltage pulses for grid-1 and grid-2.
• * Implementation of a simple circuit to achieve a precise 1 μs delay between the two drive pulses.
• * Integration and testing of the driver module with a CX1575C thyratron in a pulsed power supply for a CO(2) laser.

Main Results:

• * Generation of a 100 A, 2 μs current pulse for grid-1 and a 1200 V, 1.2 μs pulse for grid-2 with -150 V bias.
• * Achieved a rate of voltage rise exceeding 10 kV/μs and a jitter of ±3 ns for the grid-2 pulse.
• * Successful operation of a 50 kV thyratron switched pulsed power supply driving a multi-joule CO(2) laser at 100 Hz.

Conclusions:

• * The developed double output pulsed high current driver meets the stringent requirements for high power multi-grid thyratrons.
• * The driver module is versatile and can be adapted for other high current thyratron applications with minor modifications.
• * This technology enables efficient and reliable operation of pulsed power systems for applications like high-power lasers.