High pulsated powers

One calls high pulsated powers technologies allowing the generation of very strong power S electric instantaneous, in the form of extremely dense and short impulses created starting from a energy accumulated beforehand. This type of phenomenon is represented in nature by the Foudre, which constitutes a short electric shock of electrostatic energy accumulated between the clouds and the ground.

History

The technique of the high pulsated powers was born in Germany in 1923, thanks to work of Erwin Marx, which designed the generating first of impulses, based on Condensateur S charged in parallel and discharged in series.

Another big family of generators, based on an inductive storage, appeared in the years 1950: generating with inductive addition of tension (IVA).

The first work on the magneto-cumulative generating was completed independently, initially in Soviet Union in the nuclear research center of VNIIEF to Sarov with the beginning of the year 1950, then with the the United States in the National laboratory of Los Alamos.

Principle of operation

The operation of the generators with high pulsated power comprises two successive phases:

the first makes it possible to store the energy produced by a slow source, for one length of time generally going of a fraction of a second at a few seconds; it is sometimes absent, when one calls upon a preexistent source, of chemical type for example;
the second makes it possible to release this energy, in the form of a very short impulse of high power; this phase is often described as “temporal compression”.

Thus, starting from a stored energy of 1 Joule, and if the losses are neglected, one can reach the following powers:

1 Watt if energy is delivered into 1 second;
1 kilowatt (10 ³ Watts) if energy is delivered in 1 millisecond (10^-3 S);
1 megawatt (10⁶ Watts) if energy is delivered into 1 microsecond (10^-6 S);
1 gigawatt (10⁹ Watts) if energy is delivered into 1 nanosecond (10^-9 S).

A power gain is often carried out inside the line of transmission which connects the generator and the load; this amplification makes it possible moreover to shorten and format the produced impulse, in order to adapt it to specificities of the load, from where current denomination of Pulse Forming Line (or PFL) applied to such a line.

Various methods of storage can be used:

capacitive storage (condensing): Generating of Marx
inductive storage (magnetic fields): Generating IVA
mechanical storage (flying of inertia)
chemical storage (Explosive S): Generating magneto-cumulative

Applications

The first applications of the high pulsated powers were of a primarily military nature. Although research relates to still mainly this field, one notes since the years 1990, following the declassification of many military work, a significant development of the industrial applications.

Among the various uses of these techniques, let us quote:

production of intense X-radiations, in particular intended for the Radiography applied to the physics of the weapons (see Airix and DARHT);
the study of the behavior of materials subjected to strong Pressure S;
production of plasma S at high temperature within the framework of research on the nuclear Fusion controlled (see Z machine);
the simulation of the effects of the the Lightning during the tests of equipment of high voltage and aviation;
the detection of the defects of Insulation in electric wiring (system PASD of the Laboratories Sandia).

See too

Internal bonds

Generating of Marx
magneto-cumulative Generating IVA
Generating
Particle accelerator Z machine
Airix
DARHT

External bonds

Thesis of Mathias Bavay (July 8th, 2002)
Thesis of Dominique Huet (July 5th, 2004)
Pulsed Power Science and Technology (Kunamoto Univ.)
Pulsed Power Peer Review Committee Carryforward (Sandia, October 2000)
Pulsed Power Peer Review Committee Carryforward (Sandia, October 2002)
Pulsed Power Peer Review Committee Carryforward (Sandia, October 2004)
Presentation of work of Andrei Sakharov on the magneto-cumulative generation
Comparative Analysis off Three Power Amplification Designs for Multi-MY Based Drivers one Microsecond Inductive Energy Storage (Center of Studies of Gramat)
intermittent Sandia preemptive spark helps find electrical shorts circuits in airplanes
Pulsed Arrested Spark Discharge (PASD) Wiring Diagnosis

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