Pulsed Power Supplies : A practical design approach to impulse generators

Sammanfattning

This work explores the theory, design and construction of pulsed high voltage DC power supplies, as well as pulse forming of capacitive discharges, combining classical high voltage theory and modern power electronics. The main goal was to construct such a power supply with an output voltage of 30kV and an ideal rise time of sub-50ns, as well as implementing a method of pulse forming to ultimately drive a spark gap. Two designs were proposed and one of them was constructed, this prototype featured a high frequency H-bridge inverter with high logic level circuitry, gate drive transformers, RC snubbers and more. Much effort was made in terms of EMC, where mitigating signal distortions such as resonant ringing and EMI emanating from fast switching and spark discharge were highly successful. A Guillemin type-E pulse forming network was designed and constructed, with the simulation suggesting a rise time of 60ns while the theory suggested 180ns, underlining the need for further testing due to the non-linear nature of air-breakdown ofthe spark gap. Since this work was done in close proximity to a high voltage source, a section highlighting the dangers of high voltage discharge in different configurations was written.