M. Kristiansen

Electro-Explosive Switches for Helical Flux Compression Generators

Helical flux compression generators coupled with an inductive energy storage system have shown promising results as a driving source for High Power Microwave (HPM) loads. The output performance of the inductive energy storage system is contingent upon the opening switch scheme, usually an electro-explosive fuse. Our previous work involving fuse parameter characterization has established a baseline for potential fuse performance. By applying this fuse characterization model to an HFCG powered system, a non-optimized fuse has produced 60 kV into an HPM equivalent load with an HFCG output of 15 kA into a 3 muH inductor. Utilization of a non-explosive HFCG test-bed has produced 36 kV into an HPM equivalent load with an output of 15 kA into a 1.3 muH inductor. The use of a non-explosive HFCG test bed will allow the verification of scalability of the fuse parameter model and also allow testing of exotic fuse materials. Prior analysis of fuse parameters has been accomplished with various materials including Silver (Au), Copper (Cu), and Aluminum (Al), but particular interest resides in the use of Gold (Ag) fuse material. We will discuss the a-priori calculated baseline fuse design and compare the experimental results of the gold wire material with the silver wire material baseline design. With the results presented, an accurate Pspice model applicable to our 45 kA HFCG systems will be available and allow the development of accurate modeling for higher current systems.

Experimentation and simulation of high current density surface coated electro-explosive fuses

The primary objective of the research discussed in this paper is to develop a compact electro-explosive fuse (EEF) for a flux compression generator (FCG) power conditioning system, capable of rapidly obtaining and maintaining high impedance. It was observed that significant gains in EEF performance are introduced with the application of an insulating coating to the surface of the EEF wire. A 2 kA small scale test bed has been designed to provide a single wire EEF with similar current density (~107 A/cm2), voltage gradient (~7 kV/cm), and timescale (~8 μs) as to what is seen by and EEF utilized in a HPM generating FCG system. With the small scale test bed EEF performance data was rapidly obtained at a significantly lower cost than equivalent full scale FCG experiments. A one-dimensional finite difference model coupled with the Los Alamos National Laboratory SESAME Equation-of-State database was utilized to simulate the resistive behavior of the single wire EEFs. Further, a large scale test bed, designed to provide a similar current action as to what is provided by a FCG is used to test 18 wire EEF arrays at the 40 kA level.

Simulation of an exploding wire opening switch

An exploding wire model that accounts for the electric field enhanced conductivity of dense metal plasma is applied to simulate an exploding wire opening switch. In contrast to many z-pinch experiments, operated in vacuum, the experiments here discuss wires vaporized in a high pressure gas environment. In addition to this, these experiments are primarily concerned with sub-eV temperatures, with a specific emphasis on the liquid-vapor phase transition, where significant decreases in conductivity provide the opening switch behavior. It is common that fuses operating within this regime are analyzed using 0-dimensional models, where the resistance is taken to be an experimentally determined function of energy or action. A more accurate 1-dimensional model with added field enhanced conductivity has been developed to better model the fuse dynamics throughout a significantly larger parameter range. The model applies the LANL SESAME database for the equation-of-state, and the conductivity data developed with the Lee-More-Desjarlais (LMD) algorithm. Using conductivity based on conditions of thermal equilibrium accurately predicts fuse opening as well as current re-emergence after a few microseconds dwell time for the case of small electric fields, however, this simple approach fails to capture early fuse restrike if the differential voltage across the wire becomes too large (~few kV/cm for the investigated conditions). It is demonstrated that adding an electric field driven conductivity term to the model will accurately capture the fuse dynamics for the low field as well as the high field case.

The effects of insulation material and methods of fabrication on the performance of compact Helical Flux Compression Generators

Helical Flux Compression Generators, HFCGs, are powerful high current sources for pulsed power applications. Due to the single shot nature of HFCGs, electrical output reproducibility is of great importance. One factor known to contribute to unpredictable performance is mechanical inconsistencies introduced during manufacturing of the stator. In an attempt to minimize these deviations during productions, two different winding forms for stator coils, designed to ensure repeatable generator dimensions, turn and coil pitch, were investigated. The differences between the methods were quantified by comparison of measurements made of the physical parameters of the coil (i.e. radius, inductance, etc.), as well as analysis of experiments conducted with the HFCGs fired into a 3 µH load inductor. With any particular fabrication method, the stator insulation material has a distinct impact on generator operation. Quad-built Polyimide coated magnet wire as stator insulation material and Teflon Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) as field coil insulation material were investigate to improve HFCG performance. Insulation testing was carried out by firing HFCGs into the inductive load mentioned above. Experimental data and analysis, as well as conclusions on insulation material, will be presented along with a brief discussion of the optimum fabrication method.