Combined flux compression and plasma opening switch on the Saturn pulsed power generator

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that combining flux compression with plasma flow switches on the Saturn pulsed power generator can significantly amplify current and improve pulse rise times, with experimental evidence supporting the approach.

Contribution

It introduces a novel combination of flux compression and plasma flow switches to enhance pulsed power performance, showing practical experimental results.

Findings

Current into load doubled to 6 MA

Pulse rise time halved to 100 ns

Plasma flow switch acts as a long-conduction-time opening switch

Abstract

A wire-array flux-compression cartridge installed on Sandia's Saturn pulsed power generator doubled the current into a 3-nH load to 6 MA and halved its rise time to 100 ns. The current into the load, however, was unexpectedly delayed by almost 1 microsecond. Estimates of a plasma flow switch acting as a long-conduction-time opening switch are consistent with key features of the power compression. The results suggest that microsecond-conduction-time plasma flow switches can be combined with flux compression both to amplify currents and to sharpen pulse rise times in pulsed power drivers.