The design and development of fast pulsed power supplies using transmission line transformers

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the development of Transmission Line Transfomer (TLT) pulsed power supplies and the generation of fast risetime (>50ns), good quality, high repetition-rate voltage pulses for flash x-ray preionisors and other applications. It explains the principle of the TLT and reports on two TLT pulsed power supplies that have been built. The first, or prototype, produced output voltage pulses with risetimes of 50ns and durations of 200ns and was used to power a flash x-ray preionisation source for a mercury bromide laser. The second, a 50kV, 100? device, was built as part of a wider research program concerned with the development of space based pulsed power supplies. The development of ceramic tile technology is also described and the relevant electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of some barium titanate tiles given; it is then shown how ceramic tiles can be used to construct compact pulse generators for TLT systems. Finally, the subject of nonlinear dielectric pulse sharpening is introduced and pulse sharpening in a delay line ladder network containing air-core inductors and non-linear capacitors is demonstrated. It is then explained how these lines can be used to improve the output risetime of a TLT.