Pulsed Power System Design and Manufacturing
Applied Pulsed Power designs and builds pulsed power systems with peak powers ranging from 1 MW to 1 TW. The systems use a variety of switching technologies, including solid state switches, thyratrons, ignatrons, magnetic switches, and high-pressure spark gaps. We have supplied systems ranging from high average power solid state switched modulators to the 1 MA, 1 TW COBRA z-pinch driver developed for Cornell University.
Some systems are described below. We can develop custom systems to meet your requirements, often by modifying one of our existing proven designs.
Model S32 Solid State Trigger Generator (data sheet)
This compact trigger generator, in conjunction with an external PFN, produces a fast rising voltage pulse. The S32 operates from a 12V supply and consists of a low inductance solid state switch, 5kV power supply and control electronics. Control and monitoring functions are performed via fiber optics, allowing the generator to float at high voltage if a 12 V battery is used. The S32 can switch up to 14kA, with the peak output current determined by the external circuit. This trigger generator can be used to replace krytron switched units.
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High Speed Pulsed Magnet Drivers Applied Pulsed Power builds systems with solid state switching to drive septum and kicker magnets used in high energy particle accelerators. The septum magnet driver delivers an 8 kA, 25 microsecond current pulse at repetition rates up to 10 pps operating at 5 kV. The 20 kV kicker magnet driver produces a 3 kA current pulse with a 500 ns risetime at repetition rates up to 10 pps. |
10 kA, High Speed Gas Valve Driver (data sheet)
This 10kA, 3 kV pulse generator is designed to drive from one to four Model S20A high speed gas valves at up to 25 pulses/second. Switching is accomplished through solid state components.
| Pulsed Magnetic Field Coil Driver with inductive energy recovery (Model S02 data sheet) This pulse generator drives inductive loads at high currents (12kA), short pulse widths, and repetition rates of up to 10 pulses/second. Inductive energy is recovered to minimize the power supply capacity, energy consumption and cooling requirements. The voltage polarity is reversed to its initial state to obtain the same direction of current flow in the load on each pulse. |
The driver can be modified to accommodate different current, voltage, rise time, and repetition rate requirements. APP would be glad to determine if our systems can meet your needs. |
| MAP I Ion Diode System (data sheet)
The MAP I Ion Diode System delivers high purity, intense, pulsed ion beams when integrated with a suitable high voltage pulse generator. The system was developed to produce large area pulsed ion beams for ion beam surface treatment operating at a rate of 5 pulses per second. The system can produce hydrogen, nitrogen, argon and helium ion beams at high purity in single or multiple species. The pulse generator operates from 200 kV to 600 kV at currents of up to 40 kA. MAP I is the heart of QM1, the first commercial system to use ion beam surface treatment technology. QM1 has been in operation since 1997 and currently treats several thousand parts per week. Read more about Ion Beam Surface Treatment: |
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COBRA The COBRA high current generator, designed and built by APP for the Lab of Plasma Studies at Cornell University, is capable of delivering a 1 MA, 100 ns current pulse to a low impedance load. COBRA is part of the new Center for the Study of Pulsed-Power-Driven High Energy Density Plasma at Cornell University. Applications for COBRA include improving the performance of wire-array z-pinches as x-ray sources, laboratory simulation of astrophysical phenomena, studies of radiation dominated plasmas, interaction of plasma jets with target plasmas, and the atomic physics of highly stripped high-Z elements. Isentropic compression experiments at the 100 kbar level will also be carried out. |
FIREX
APP designed the 1.2 MV, 800 kA, 150 ns FIREX pulsed power source used in the Field-Reversed Ion Ring Experiment (FIREX) program at Cornell University. FIREX is intended as a major step toward the realization of a field-reversed Ion Ring or Ion Ring/FRC reactor in which large orbit ions provide MHD stability to a high-\beta field-reversed configuration.
A paper published at the 1995 IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference concerning FIREX can be viewed here.
The Cornell FIREX website with further information is here.