Qiu Aici

A Multi-Gap Multi-Channel Gas Switch for the Linear Transformer Driver

A multi-gap and multi-channel gas switch with convexo-convex discal planet electrodes was designed and investigated. Eight gaps are formed in series by a trigger electrode, six intermediate electrodes and two high voltage electrodes with a uniform gap length of 5 mm. The self breakdown and triggered breakdown performance of the switch are reported. Both the delay time and jitter decrease with the increase in the trigger voltage, switching coefficient and the decrease in the trigger isolating resistor. The delay time of the switch is about 40 ns, and the jitter is less than 2 ns when charged with ±85 kV and triggered by a voltage pule of −75 kV. The inductance of the switch is about 30 nH.

Experimental Study of the Multi-Gap Multi-Channel Gas Spark Closing Switch

A coaxial multi-gap multi-channel spark switch with stainless-steel-spring ring gap electrodes is designed and investigated. The switch is triggered by a pulse applied to the cylindrical electrode outside the discharging channel through a parasitic capacitance coupling. The jitter of the switch is reduced by several short-distance gas gaps in series, and its inductance is reduced by a multi-channel discharge on account of the inductance isolation between the coils of the spring ring electrode. The experimental results indicate that the switch is of low inductance (15-30 nH), low jitter (~3 ns), and stable breakdown performance.

Investigation of the Load Current Tail Phenomenon on the Qiangguang Generator

The phenomenon of load currents with long decaying tails can be found on many pulsed-power generators, such as the Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories in the U.S. and the Angara-5-1 facility in Russia. In this paper, the reasons that cause the load current tail on the Qiangguang generator are investigated. The experiments were carried out using two insulator stacks with different diameters and insulator ring numbers. The results show that the current tail on the Qiangguang generator is not caused by measurement error but rather by electrical flashover across the surface of the insulator stack and by leakage current through the water between the stack and the outer wall of the water-filled transmission line that feeds the vacuum section on the Qiangguang generator. Also, an equivalent circuit for the Qiangguang generator was constructed and used in PSpice simulations. By adding a time-dependent resistance in parallel with the load, the simulations were able to produce current waveforms that closely match those recorded during experiments. In additional experiments, an optical fiber was used with a photoelectric cell to collect the flashover light emitted from the surface of the vacuum-insulator rings. The data collected show that the fiber signal and the beginning of the load current tail are time correlated. More recently, a new insulator stack made of Rexolite was acquired and used in yet more experiments. The results of these experiments show that, by using the new insulator stack, the onset of the load current tail phenomenon is significantly delayed. The data from all of the experiments show that stack flashover is the main cause of the load current tail on the Qiangguang generator.

Characteristics of implosion and radiation for aluminum planar wire array z-pinch at 1.5 MA

Planar wire arrays Z pinches were carried out on Qiangguang generator (1.5 MA, 100 ns). Loads with varied row widths (6–24 mm) and wire numbers (10–34) were employed in the experiments. The implosion dynamics of planar wire arrays has been studied. Meanwhile, the changes of the implosion time, radiation yield and power with array mass, inter-wire gap, and array width were investigated. The images of a soft X-ray camera exhibit that the trailing mass, precursor column, and R-T instability exist during the implosion phase, and when m = 0 maybe accompanied with m = 1, instability will rapidly develop after stagnation. The implosion trajectories show that loads will implode by the snowplow mode and about 50% of total initial array mass will participate in the final implosion. The maximum total X-ray energy is 22 kJ with a power of 630 GW, while the maximum K-shell yield is 3.9 kJ with a power of 158 GW. Experiments with different planar wire arrays show that the value of mPD02 (the product of line mass and sq...

An Experimental Study on Kr Gas-puff Z-pinch

Kr gas-puff Z-pinch experiment performed recently on Qiang-guang I pulsed power generator is reported. The generator has a 1.5 MA current with a pulse width of 100 ns. The total x-ray energy as well as its spectrum has been obtained, and the average power of x-ray radiation in 50-700 eV measured by XRDs is 2 TW. The generator configuration, gas-puff load assembly and diagnostic system for the experiments are described.

Numerical Analysis of the Output-Pulse Shaping Capability of Linear Transformer Drivers

Output-pulse shaping capability of a linear transformer driver (LTD) module under different conditions is studied, by conducting the whole circuit model simulation by using the PSPICE code. Results indicate that a higher impedance profile of the internal transmission line would lead to a wider adjustment range for the output current rise time and a narrower adjustment range for the current peak. The number of cavities in series has a positive effect on the output-pulse shaping capability of LTD. Such an improvement in the output-pulse shaping capability can primarily be ascribed to the increment in the axial electric length of LTD. For a triggering time interval longer than the time taken by a pulse to propagate through the length of one cavity, the output parameters of LTD could be improved significantly. The present insulating capability of gas switches and other elements in the LTD cavities may only tolerate a slightly longer deviation in the triggering time interval. It is feasible for the LTD module to reduce the output current rise time, though it is not useful to improve the peak power effectively.

Multichannel Discharge Characteristics of Gas Switch Gap in SF6-N2 or SF6-Ar Gas Mixtures Under Nanosecond Triggering Pulses

Experiments were carried out to ascertain multichannel discharge characteristics in a self-designed coaxial field-distortion gas switch filled with SF6-N2 or SF6-Ar gas mixtures of different mixing ratios. In these experiments, the pressure varied from 0.1 MPa to 0.2 MPa, the voltage pulse peak applied to the switch was in the range from 40 kV to 78 kV, and the pulse rise time was 11 ns. The static breakdown strength of the gas switch gap in the switch was also measured. The results show that in general the average number of discharge channels for SF6-Ar or SF6-N2 gas mixture which contains less SF6 is larger than that for gas mixture which contains more SF6, however, the average number of channels almost keeps constant as the gas mixing ratio varies when the pulse rise rate is high enough. The static breakdown strength of the gas switch gap decreases slightly as the content of argon or nitrogen increases.

Conversion of electromagnetic energy in Z-pinch process of single planar wire arrays at 1.5 MA

The electromagnetic energy conversion in the Z-pinch process of single planar wire arrays was studied on Qiangguang generator (1.5 MA, 100 ns). Electrical diagnostics were established to monitor the voltage of the cathode-anode gap and the load current for calculating the electromagnetic energy. Lumped-element circuit model of wire arrays was employed to analyze the electromagnetic energy conversion. Inductance as well as resistance of a wire array during the Z-pinch process was also investigated. Experimental data indicate that the electromagnetic energy is mainly converted to magnetic energy and kinetic energy and ohmic heating energy can be neglected before the final stagnation. The kinetic energy can be responsible for the x-ray radiation before the peak power. After the stagnation, the electromagnetic energy coupled by the load continues increasing and the resistance of the load achieves its maximum of 0.6–1.0 Ω in about 10–20 ns.

Investigation of the Resistance and Inductance of Planar Wire Array Z-Pinch at the Qiangguang Accelerator

The resistance and inductance of a wire array during an implosion are very important parameters of interest to researchers. A variety of inductances and resistances directly affect the kinetic energy and resistance heat energy coupled from a pulsed-power generator. In this paper, the inductance and resistance of a planar wire array during the Z-pinch process are analyzed. The inductance is calculated from the data obtained by a time-resolved soft X-ray framed camera, while the resistance is calculated through the voltage and the current of the wire array load combined with the variety of the inductance. The results show that the resistance of the load increases with the development of the implosion, and reaches its maximum at 0.29 ± 0.16 Ω near the pinched time.

Ultra Fast Shutter Driven by Pulsed High Current

Radiation simulation utilizing plasma radiation sources (PRS) generates a large number of undesirable debris, which may damage the expensive diagnosing detectors. An ultra fast shutter (UFS) driven by pulsed high current can erect a physical barrier to the slowly moving debris after allowing the passage of x-ray photons. The UFS consists of a pair of thin metal foils twisting the parallel axes in a Nylon cassette, compressed with an outer magnetic field, generated from a fast capacitor bank, discharging into a single turn loop. A typical capacitor bank is of 7.5 μF charging voltages varying from 30 kV to 45 kV, with corresponding currents of approximately 90 kA to 140 kA and discharging current periods of approximately 13.1 μs. A shutter closing time as fast as 38 microseconds has been obtained with an aluminium foil thickness of 100 micrometers and a cross-sectional area of 15 mm by 20 mm. The design, construction and the expressions of the valve-closing time of the UFS are presented along with the measured results of valve-closing velocities.