High voltage charging system for pulsed power generators

TL;DR

This paper presents a portable, high-voltage power supply designed for pulsed power generators, utilizing a three-stage system with zero-voltage switching, a ferrite-core transformer, and a Cockcroft-Walton multiplier to efficiently generate and handle large voltage spikes.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel three-stage high-voltage charging system specifically optimized for pulsed power generators, enhancing robustness and portability.

Findings

Capable of charging at ±100 kV and 1 mA.

Maintains resonance for maximum energy transfer across various loads.

Effectively withstands large voltage spikes during triggering.

Abstract

A robust and portable power supply has been developed specifically for charging linear transformer drivers, a modern incarnation of fast pulsed power generators. It is capable of generator +100 kV and -100 kV at 1 mA, while withstanding the large voltage spikes generated when the pulsed-power generator is triggered. The three-stage design combines a zero-voltage switching circuit, a step-up transformer using ferrite cores, and a dual Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier. The zero-voltage switching circuit drives the primary of the transformer in parallel with a capacitor. With this driver, the tank circuit naturally remain in its resonant state, allowing for maximum energy coupling between the zero-voltage switching circuit and the Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier across a wide range of loading conditions.