A Robust Modular IGBT Power Supply for Innovative Confinement Concepts

Among current challenges in fusion science is the ability to generate increased power levels at a reasonable cost for pulsed magnets, arc plasma sources, radio frequency (RF) heating, and current drive schemes, using current generation solid state devices. However, power supplies based on continuous wave (CW) tubes are typically large and expensive, making them prohibitive for smaller experimental facilities or not cost effective when only pulsed input power is required. Next generation solid state power supplies could allow for multiple applications with a single well-developed module that could be configured in many ways. Therefore, this project will develop, build, and test a modular solid state power supply based on Insulate Gate Bi-polar Transistor (IGBT) technologies, which have seen dramatic increases in operational parameters in the last five years. Phase I will produce a power supply prototype design that will be tested on the high power Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF) for the Translation Confinement and Sustainment Upgrade (TCSU) device at the Redmond Plasma Physics Laboratory, providing a proof of principle for IGBT based power supplies. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee A low-cost, highly-configurable, high-current, high-voltage solid state pulsed power supply would be beneficial to such fusion science applications as wave heating schemes, current drive, plasma arc sources, and ignitron replacements. Other areas of interest would include pulsed power supplies for linear accelerators, in-space electric thrusters, and semiconductor fabrication applications