Petawatt pulsed-power accelerator

DWPI Title: Single-sided pulsed-power accelerator for delivering high power to electrical load e.g. z-pinch load, has vacuum section which comprises triplate vacuum-transmission-line that delivers combined radially converging power pulse to load
Abstract: A petawatt pulsed-power accelerator can be driven by various types of electrical-pulse generators, including conventional Marx generators and linear-transformer drivers. The pulsed-power accelerator can be configured to drive an electrical load from one- or two-sides. Various types of loads can be driven; for example, the accelerator can be used to drive a high-current z-pinch load. When driven by slow-pulse generators (e.g., conventional Marx generators), the accelerator comprises an oil section comprising at least one pulse-generator level having a plurality of pulse generators; a water section comprising a pulse-forming circuit for each pulse generator and a level of monolithic triplate radial-transmission-line impedance transformers, that have variable impedance profiles, for each pulse-generator level; and a vacuum section comprising triplate magnetically insulated transmission lines that feed an electrical load. When driven by LTD generators or other fast-pulse generators, the need for the pulse-forming circuits in the water section can be eliminated.
Use: Single-sided pulsed-power accelerator for delivering high power to electrical load e.g. z-pinch load in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), radiation physics, equation-of-state, plasma physics, astrophysics, and other high-energy-density-physics (HEDP) experiments.
Advantage: Provides radial-line transformers which offer a straightforward, efficient, and relatively inexpensive combining of the outputs of several-hundred terawatt-level electrical-pulse generators e.g. Marx generators to provide a petawatt-level combined electrical-power pulse. Reduces the need for inefficient self-break water switches that are used for pulse sharpening in existing accelerator architectures. Allows the impedance at the input of each radial-line transformer to be chosen to maximize the electrical power that is transferred from intermediate pulse-forming circuits to radial-line transformer. Allows the impedance at the output of the radial-line transformers to be chosen to maximize the power transferred from the radial-line transformers to the accelerator's vacuum section system. Eliminates the need for voltage-adding hardware, such as cross-over networks, transit-time-isolated transmission-line adders, and high-permeability ferromagnetic cores, which are assumed by peak voltages generated by the switches. Allows smoothing to reduce the probability that fluctuations would weaken magnetic insulation in the vacuum-transmission lines. Allows radial lines to shape a load current for applications that require a specific load-current waveform. Allows the anodes of the radial lines to be effectively monolithic and relatively flat, thus the transmission lines do not require geometric enhancements of electric field at anodes, where dielectric breakdown in the water is most likely to initiate. Ensures relatively flat geometry of the anodes and cathodes to reduce fabrication cost. Provides relatively closed geometry of the radial lines to reduce electromagnetic radiation losses, thus improving accelerator efficiency. Provides relatively closed geometry to shield experimental, diagnostic, and facility hardware from electromagnetic pulse generated by the accelerator.
Novelty: The single-sided pulsed-power accelerator (100) has a water section (130) with a triplate radial-transmission-line impedance transformer (136) which has a variable impedance profile for combining forward-going power pulses and propagating a combined radially converging power pulse. A vacuum section (150) comprises a triplate vacuum-transmission-line that corresponds to the triplate radial-transmission-line impedance transformer, which delivers the combined radially converging power pulse to an electrical load (156).
Filed: 8/4/2006
Application Number: US2006499548A
Tech ID: SD 10240.0
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.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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