High average current and high voltage reliable and stable power supplies for high current electron beam sources

There are unmet needs for very-high voltage power supplies to power high voltage electron-guns for accelerator applications. National Labs, such as Jefferson Lab and Brookhaven National Lab, operate photoemission-electron-guns that provide electron beams for accelerators for nuclear physics experiments. The photoemission-electron-guns need power supplies to operate. There are no domestic companies that manufacture or are interested in the accelerator business including supporting previously sold custom and/or no longer produced/manufactured very-high voltage power supplies. Therefore, if these power supplies fail or in need of service or repair, it could be extremely difficult to find technical assistance, repair or to purchase a replacement power supply especially from a USA based company. There are no other domestic vendors left that manufacture and service custom power supplies in the current and voltage range, with the output regulation required for present and upcoming state-of-the-art photoemission-electron-guns for accelerator applications. We propose to develop these necessary very-high voltage power supplies as part of this Department of Energy SBIR. To address this problem and opportunity we propose to investigate, design, develop, implement and prototype then manufacture and produce direct-current high voltage power supplies and modulators for powering magnetrons that are ultra-efficient, provide enhanced flexibility and performance and reduce energy consumption that power the photoemission-electron-guns. Designed, researched, developed, implemented, characterized and tested prototype high average current and very-high voltage reliable and stable power supplies for high current electron beam source concepts and implementations and provided a report summarizing the results obtained including the proof-of-feasibility-prototype successfully tested as part of the Phase I effort of this Department of Energy SBIR. Build on the prototype power supply Phase I solution and improve, enhance and go to much higher voltages, currents and powers. Design for modularity/scalability into the very-high voltage and stable and high current power supplies and associated electronics for photoemission-electron-guns. Complete implementation of control/feedback and arc detect/protect. Implement, test, verify and validate two innovative power supply systems using multi-modules to power photoemission-electron-guns for different applications at two National Laboratories. There are a number of commercial, technical, economic, social, and other benefits to the public including reduced energy/power consumption, fundamental advances in science, higher performance and functionality coupled with lower cost power supplies for scientific, academic, industrial, commercial, medical, security and defense applications for a diverse variety of applications, markets and sectors including heating, radiotherapy, cargo scanning, processes, drying, water purification, sterilization, plasma, particle accelerators, nuclear physics and high energy physics. The public will also greatly benefit from competitive diverse power supplies that continue to drive cost down while increasing USA manufacturing and creating USA jobs.