High voltage power supply having multiple high voltage generators

A high voltage power supply for generating a controlled current in a lead having varying inductive, capacitive, and resistive components, comprising:

• (a) a DC power source;
• (b) a timing generator producing a repetitive timing signal, wherein during each repetition of the timing signal the power supply cycles through a driving mode sod a tracking mode;
• and
• (c) a plurality of high voltage generators coupled in cascode to the lead such that the output voltages produced by the plurality of high voltage generators are summed with one another, wherein during the driving mode of operation the high voltage generators produce an output voltage exceeding a voltage across the capacitive component of the lead, thereby causing an increasing current in the load until the current reaches a desired level, after which the high voltage generators enter the tracking mode of operation wherein the high voltage generators produce an output voltage substantially equal to the voltage across the capacitive component of the load, thereby causing a current in the load to remain at the desired level, each of the plurality of high voltage generators comprising:
• (i) an inverter having an input connected to said DC power source and an input coupled to said timing generator and producing an AC voltage in synchronism with the timing signal;
• (ii) a transformer coupled to the inverter for stepping up the AC voltage produced by the inverter;
• and
• (iii) a rectifier coupled to the inverter for rectifying the AC voltage produced by the inverter.

A high voltage power supply for generating a controlled current in a load having a capacitive component, comprising:

• (a) a timing circuit generating a periodic bi-polar timing signal;
• and
• (b) a voltage generator for generating a voltage during each polarity of the periodic bi-polar timing signal, the voltage generator comprising:
• (i) a first generator coupled to the load and to the timing circuit, the first generator generating and applying to the load a driving voltage synchronously with each transition of the periodic bi-polar timing signal, wherein the driving voltage induces an increasing current in the load, the driving voltage being applied until the current in the load reaches a desired magnitude;
• and
• (ii) a second generator coupled to the load and to the timing circuit, the second generator generating and applying to the load a tracking voltage following the generation of the driving voltage by the first generator, wherein the tracking voltage is equal to a voltage measured across the capacitive component of the load so that the current in the load is maintained at a nearly constant level.