Development of New Technology High Power, High Rep-Rate, Fast Rise Time Switches

"High power, high rep-rate, long life switches are required in Air Force areas of electromagnetic weapons, high power lasers and high power radar but also for generation of large volume, high-pressure plasmas for "plasma stealth", MHD power generation andfor supersonic combustion. These latter requirements for portable, small scale pulse power systems may be satisfied by switches with more moderate switch voltage, but switch rise time, life time and rep-rate still re-quire improvement for present andfuture Air Force applications. The proposed effort is based on two successful basic research programs. In the Phase I program the water dielectric switch demonstrated very fast rise times and low switch impedance with high peak power and operated atrepetition rates of 1 kHz, voltages to 10 kV. In the proposed program, the repetition rate will be increased, switching stability improved and a prototype switching system developed. The second switch program, complementing the first, is based on thepseudospark switch, which has demonstrated very high voltage switching at 20 nsec rise times and kA current pulses. It is proposed to increase its lifetime, possibly using multiple discharges, repetition rate and improve triggerability. Preliminaryversions of this switch have been available as commercial prototypes."