Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Plasma Erosion Opening Switch

  • Chapter
Opening Switches

Part of the book series: Advances in Pulsed Power Technology ((APUT,volume 1))

Abstract

Inductive energy storage in conjunction with opening switch techniques has many advantages over conventional, capacitive power approaches for high-energy (>10MJ), high-power (>10l2W) applications.1 The principal advantages of inductive storage derive from the 10–100 times higher energy density possible with energy stored in magnetic fields as compared with electric fields and that energy can be stored at low voltage. In theory, this makes compact and economical generators possible.2 In any inductive storage scheme, the opening switches represent the most critical elements. One such possible switch is the plasma erosion opening switch (PEOS). This switch has been proposed to be used either by itself3 or in sequence with other opening switches4 in several inductive-store, pulsed-power systems. Recently, inductive-store/ pulse-compression techniques employing the PEOS have been successfully adapted to conventional pulsed-power generators for the purpose of improving their performance, e.g., peak voltage, peak power, and pulse width.5–11 In addition to inductive store applications, the PEOS has been used extensively in high power generators for prepulse suppression, improving power flow symmetry, and current risetime sharpening.5,6,12–18 Depending on the specific application, the PEOS has demonstrated opening times less than 10 ns, conduction times approaching 100 ns, conduction currents as high as 5 MA, and voltage generation over 3 MV without breakdown. Present research is directed toward obtaining a better understanding of PEOS physics and the interaction of the PEOS with the other system components to optimize system performance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. S.A. Nasar and H.H. Woodson, Storage and Transfer of Energyfor Pulsed-Power Applications, Proceedings of the SixthSymposium on Engineering Problems of Fusion Research, SanDiego, CA, IEEE Pub. No. 75H1097–5-NPS, (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  2. R.D. Ford, D. Jenkins, W.H. Lupton, and I.M. Vitkovitsky,Pulsed High-Voltage and High-Current Outputs from Homopolar Energy Storage System, Rev. Sci. Instrum., 52:694(1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. K.D. Bergeron and J. Pace VanDevender, Fast Opening PlasmaSwitch, 1978 IEEE International Conference on PlasmaScience, Monterey, CA, (1978), IEEE Cat. No. 78CH1357–3NPS.

    Google Scholar 

  4. P.F. Ottinger, R.J. Commisso, W.H. Lupton, and J.D. Shipman,Jr., System Study for an Inductive Generator, Proc.Fifth IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, Washington, DC(1985), IEEE Cat. No. 85C2121–2.

    Google Scholar 

  5. R.W. Stinnett, W.B. Moore, R.A. Meger, J.M. Neri, and P.F.Ottinger, Plasma Opening Switch Experiment on PBFA-I,Bul. Am. Phys. Soc., 29:1207 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  6. J.P. Vandevender et al. (48 authors), Light-Ion FusionResearch in the U.S.A., Tenth International Confrence on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research, London, U.K. (1984), IAEA, Vienna, 3:59 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  7. K. Imasaki et al. (20 authors), Light-Ion Fusion Research in Japan, Tenth International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Rearch, London. U.K. (1984), IAEA, Vienna, 3:71 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  8. R.A. Meger, J.R. Boiler, R.J. Commisso, G. Cooperstein, S.A. Goldstein, R. Kulsrud, J.M. Neri, W.F. Oliphant, P.F. Ottinger, T.J. Renk, J.D. Shipman, Jr., S.J. Stephanakis, B.V. Weber, and F.C. Young, The NRL Plasma Erosion Opening Switch Research Program, Fifth International Conference on High-Power Particle Beams, San Francisco, CA (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  9. J. Pace VanDevender, Light Ion Beam Fusion, Fifth International Conference on High Power Particle Beam , San Francisco, CA (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  10. R.A. Meger, R.J. Commisso, G. Cooperstein, and Shyke A. Goldstein, Vacuum Inductive Store/Pulse Compression Experiments on a High Power Accelerator Using Plasma Opening Switches, Appl. Phys. Lett., 42:943 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. R.A. Meger, J.R. Boiler, D. Colombant, R.J. Commisso, G. Cooperstein, S.A. Goldstein, R. Kulsrud, J.M. Neri, W.F. Oliphant, P.F. Ottinger, T.J. Renk, J.D. Shipman, Jr., S.J. Stephanakis, F.C. Young, and B.V. Weber, Application of Plasma Erosion Opening Switches to High Power Accelerators for Pulse Compression and Power Multiplacation, Fourth IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, Albuquerque, NM, (1983), (IEEE Cat. No. 83CH1908–3).

    Google Scholar 

  12. S.J. Stephanakis, S.W. McDonald, R.A. Meger, P.F. Ottinger, F.C. Young, C.G. Mehlman, J.P. Apruzese, and R.E. Terry, Effect of Pulse-Sharpening on the Gas-Puff Imploding Plasma, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc., 29:1232 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  13. S.J. Stephanakis, T.J. Renk, G. Cooperstein, Shyke A. Goldstein, R.A. Meger, J.M. Neri, P.F. Ottinger, and F.C. Young, Effect of Pulse Compresion on Ion Beams from Pinch Reflex Diodes, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc., 28:1055 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  14. R. Stringfield, P. Sincerny, S.-L. Wong, G. James, T. Peters, and C. Gilman, Continuing Studies of Plasma Erosion Switches for Power Conditioning on Multiterawatt Pulsed Power Accelerators, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sc ., PS-11:200 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  15. R.A. Meger and F.C. Young, Pinched-Beam Ion-Diode Scaling on the Aurora Pulser, J. Appl. Phys., 53:8543 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. W.F. Oliphant, S.J. Stephanakis, G. Cooperstein, Shyke A. Goldstein, R.A. Meger, D.D. Hinshelwood, and H.U. Karow, Small Diameter Pinch-Reflex Diode Behavior with Plasma Erosion Switch Beam Front Sharpening, 1981 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, Santa Fe, NM, (1981), IEEE Cat. No. 81CH1640–2NPS.

    Google Scholar 

  17. R. Stringfield, R. Schneider, R.D. Genuario, I. Roth, K. Childers, C. Stallings, and D. Dakin, Plasma Erosion Switches with Imploding Plasma Loads on a Multiterawatt Pulsed Power Generator, J. Appl. Phys., 52:1278 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. C.W. Mendel, Jr. and S.A. Goldstein, A Fast-Opening Switch for Use in REB Diode Experiments, J. Appl. Phy ., 48:1004 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. T.J. Renk, S.J. Stephanakis, R.A. Meger, and J.R. Boiler, Plasma Erosion Opening Switch Experiments Using Flash-board Sources, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc., 28:1055 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  20. C.W. Mendel, Jr., D.M. Zagar, G.S. Mills, S. Humphries, Jr., and S.A. Goldstein, Carbon Plasma Gun, Rev. Sci. Instrum., 51:1641 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. G. Cooperstein, J.J. Condon, and J.R. Boiler, The Gamble I Pulsed Electron Beam Generator, J. Vac. Sci. Tech., 10: 961 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. R.J. Commisso, Shyke A. Goldstein, R.A. Meger, J.M. Neri, W.F. Oliphant, P.F. Ottinger, F.C. Young, and B.V. Weber, Plasma Erosion Opening Switch Physics Investigations, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc., 28:1147 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  23. B.V. Weber, R.J. Commisso, W.F. Oliphant, and P.F. Ottinger, Positive Polarity Operation of the Plasma Erosion Opening Switch, 1984 IEEE Conference on Plasma Science, St. Louis, MO (1984), IEEE Cat. No. 84CH1958–8.

    Google Scholar 

  24. J.M. Neri, R.J. Commisso, Shyke A. Goldstein, P.F. Ottinger, B.V. Weber, and F.C. Young, Plasma Opening Switch Studies, 1983 IEEE Conference on Plasma Science, San Diego,CA (1983), (IEEE Cat. No. 83CH1947–3).

    Google Scholar 

  25. J.M. Neri, R.J. Commisso, and R.A. Meger, Plasma Source Development for Plasma Opening Switches, Bull. Am. Phys.Soc., 27:1054 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  26. R.J. Commisso, D.D. Hinshelwood, J.M. Neri, F.W. Oliphant,T.J. Renk, and B.V. Weber, Experimental Study of PEOS-Load Interaction, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc., 29:1206 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  27. P.A. Miller, I.W. Poukey, and T.P. Wright, Electron Beam Generation in Plasma-Filled Diodes, Phys. Rev. Lett., 35:940 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. P.F. Ottinger, S.A. Goldstein, and R.A. Meger, Theoretical Modeling of the Plasma Erosion Opening Switch for Inductive Storage Applications, J. Appl. Phys., 56:774 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. D.D. Hinshelwood, private communication.

    Google Scholar 

  30. D.D. Hinshelwood, Explosive Emission Cathode Plasmas in Intense Relativistic Electron Beam Diodes, NRL Memorandum Report No. 5492 (1985);

    Google Scholar 

  31. R.K. Parker, R.E. Anderson, and C.V. Duncan, Plasma-Induced Field Emission and the Characteristics of High-Current Relativistic Electron Flow, J. Appl. Phys., 45:2463 (1974)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. I. Langmuir and K.B. Blodgett, Currents Limited by Space Charge Between Coaxial Cylinders, Phys. Rev. (Ser. 2),

    Google Scholar 

  33. 22:347 (1923); I. Langmuir, The Effect of Space Charge and Residual Gases on Thermionic Currents in High Vacuum, Phys. Rev., (Ser. 2), 2:450 (1913).

    Google Scholar 

  34. B.V. Weber, R.J. Commisso, R.A. Meger, J.M. Neri, W.F. Oliphant, and P.F. Ottinger, Current Distribution in a Plasma Erosion Opening Switch, Appl. Phys. Lett., 45:1043 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. B.G. Mendelev, Acceleration of the Deionization of a Rarefied Gas by Means of Back Voltage, J. Tech. Phy ., (USSR), 21: 710 (1951).

    Google Scholar 

  36. W. Koch, Experimenteller Nachweis Der Ionenschichten während der Entionisierung, J. Tech Phys., 17:446 (1936).

    Google Scholar 

  37. R.J. Barker and Shyke A. Goldstein, Computational Studies of a Radial Pinch-Reflex Diode, Bul. Am. Phys. Soc., 26:921(1981).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Shyke A. Goldstein and R. Lee, Ion-Induced Pinch and the Enhancement of Ion Current by Pinced Electron Flow in Relativistic Diodes, Phys. Rev. Lett., 35:1079 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. K.D. Bergeron, Two-Species Flow in Relativistic Diodes Near the Critical Field for Magnetic Insulation, Appl. Phys.Lett., 28:306 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. P.F. Ottinger, J. Grossman, J. Neri, R. Kulsrud, D. Bacon, and A.T. Drobot, Theoretical Investigations of PEOS Operation, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc., 29:1342 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  41. P.F. Ottinger, Operational Window for a PEOS Used for Voltage Multiplication on Pulsed Power Generators, NRL Memorandum Report 5591 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  42. R.D. Ford, J.K. Burton, R.J. Commisso, G. Cooperstein, J.M. Grossmann, D.J. Jenkins, W.H. Lupton, J.M. Neri, P.F. Ottinger, and J.D. Shipman, Jr., Staged Inductive Pulse Generator with Capacitive Current Source, NRL Memorandum Report 5852, (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  43. J. Shannon, M. Wilkinson, R. Miller, and 0. Cole, System Study for an Inductive Generator, Proc. Fifth IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, Washington, DC (1985), IEEE Cat. No. 85C 2121–2;

    Google Scholar 

  44. J. Shannon, P. Krickhuhn, R. Dethlesen, O. Cole, and H. Kent, A Compact 1 MJ Capacitor Bank Module, Proc. Fifth IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, Washington, DC (1985), IEEE Cat. No. 85C 2121–2.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plasma Technology Branch, Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375-5000, USA

    R. J. Commisso, G. Cooperstein, R. A. Meger, J. M. Neri & P. F. Ottinger

  2. JAYCOR, Vienna, VA, 22180, USA

    B. V. Weber

Authors
  1. R. J. Commisso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Cooperstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. A. Meger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. M. Neri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P. F. Ottinger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. B. V. Weber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, USA

    A. H. Guenther

  2. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA

    M. Kristiansen

  3. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

    T. Martin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1987 Plenum Press, New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Commisso, R.J., Cooperstein, G., Meger, R.A., Neri, J.M., Ottinger, P.F., Weber, B.V. (1987). The Plasma Erosion Opening Switch. In: Guenther, A.H., Kristiansen, M., Martin, T. (eds) Opening Switches. Advances in Pulsed Power Technology, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1929-0_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1929-0_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9072-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-1929-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation