High-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch
| DWPI Title: High-voltage, high-current solid-state closing switch, has stack is switched on when trigger is applied to gate terminal of FET such that portions apply voltage between anode terminal of stack and cathode terminal of blocking diode |
| Abstract: A high-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch uses a field-effect transistor (e.g., a MOSFET) to trigger a high-voltage stack of thyristors. The switch can have a high hold-off voltage, high current carrying capacity, and high time-rate-of-change of current, di/dt. The fast closing switch can be used in pulsed power applications. |
| Use: High-voltage, high-current solid-state closing switch. |
| Advantage: The current limiting resistance from the gate of a thyristor to ground potential enables the switch to trigger by allowing current to be drawn into the gate terminal of the thyristors. The trigger capacitor discharges more rapidly allowing forward bias of the blocking diode and current to flow through the main current path. The current limiting resistor can be placed between the gate of a three-terminal thyristor and the cathode terminal of the blocking diode in order to limit the current that is supplied to the gate of the thyristor for switching the device to the on state. |
| Novelty: The switch (20) has stack (12) and blocking diode (11) both comprise anode and cathode terminals. The anode terminal of blocking diode is connected to cathode terminal of stack. A trigger capacitor has a first terminal that is connected to cathode terminal and anode terminal. A FET includes a drain and a source. The portions are applied a voltage between anode and cathode terminals such that the voltage is applied to stack is less than self-break voltage of stack. The stack is switched on when a trigger is applied to the gate terminal of the FET. |
| Filed: 6/16/2014 |
| Application Number: US14305148A |
| Tech ID: SD 12687.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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