Method and apparatus for pulsed power generation
OwnerRichard Carl Auchterlonieinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Respective pulsed power supplies for plasma opening switches each produce a first current and a second current during a power pulse and a difference between the first current and the second current during a terminal portion of the power pulse. The pulsed power supplies are initiated or adjusted in response to measured opening times of the plasma opening switches in order to minimize or eliminate a need for command triggered opening of the plasma opening switches. Command triggered opening may occur in real time for a shot as needed in response to asymmetry of opening times of the plasma opening switches in the array during the shot.
Claims20
A method of operating an array of plasma opening switches for pulsed power from inductive energy storage, comprising:
- (a) measuring respective opening times for the plasma opening switches during a first discharge of pulsed power from the inductive energy storage;
- and then
- (b) adjusting sources of current to the plasma opening switches in response to the measured opening times for the plasma opening switches;
- and then
- (c) obtaining a second discharge of pulsed power from the inductive energy storage.
A pulsed power system comprising:
- a pulsed power supply;
- a load connected to the pulsed power supply for receiving power from the pulsed power supply;
- and
- a plasma opening switch connected between the pulsed power supply and the load,
- wherein the pulsed power supply produces a first current and a second current during a power pulse, and the pulsed power supply produces a difference between the first current and the second current during a terminal portion of a power pulse;
- and
- wherein the plasma opening switch has a closed state in which the plasma opening switch shunts the first current and the second current from the pulsed power supply so that the first current and the second current are not delivered to the load, and the plasma opening switch has an open state in which the plasma opening switch delivers the first current and the second current to the load, and the plasma opening switch switches from the closed state to the open state in response to the difference between the first current and the second current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.