Characteristics Study of a Trigatron with Homo and Hetero-Polar Triggering Configurations

Aram, M

Characteristics Study of a Trigatron with Homo and Hetero-Polar Triggering Configurations

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

M Aram

Abstract

Three electrodes spark gap (Trigatron) is widely used in the pulsed high voltage generator circuit in most of the high pressure gas lasers, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen lasers. In this work switch parameters such as minimum breakdown voltage and switching time of a trigatron under different experimental conditions such as nitrogen gas pressure and discharge gap are investigated. The experimental results are in good agreement with other researcher's results where some of them have not been already demonstrated. The results have shown that the best condition of switching speed will be reached by using hetero-polar triggering configuration. Also, by using the hetero-polar triggering configuration the controllable operation area of switching voltage, i.e. the voltage area where the switch is not operational without triggering, is higher than homo-polar configuration.

Highlights

E. Kauffel and W. S.Zaengel “High voltage engineering fundamentals,” pergamon press, chapter 2&5 (1984).

M.A. Gundersen, “Gas-phase pulsed power switches,” IEEE.Trans.Plasma Sci., 19, 1123-1131 (1991).
J.M. Koutsoubis, S.J. MacGregor, S.M. Turnbull, “Triggered swich performance in SF₆, air, and an SF₆/air mixture,” IEEE.Trans.on Plasma Science, 27, 272-281 (1999).
P.F. Willams and F.E. Peterkin, “Triggering in trigatron spark gaps:a fundamental study,” J.Appl.Phys., 66, 4163-4175 (1989).
S.K. Dhali, P.F. Willams, "Two-dimensional studies of streamers in gases", J.Appl.Phys., 62, 4696-4707 (1987).
F. Frungel, “High speed pulse technology,” Academic press, vol. 1, ch 2 (1965).
ا. حریری، م. ترکاشوند، ف. اردوانی، ع. یراقچی، ”بررسی تجربی لیـزر ازت مولکولی که بـه طریق عرضی فعالیت می کند،“ نشریـه علمی سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران، 3، (پائیز 1362).
M. Aram, F. Soltanmoradi, A. Behjat, “Investigation on parallel spark arry pre-ionization TEA CO₂ laser,” Proceedings SPIE, 6^th Int.A.M.P.L, Tomsk,Russia, 5483, 43-50 (2003).
R. Marcheti, E. Penco, G. Salveti, “Seasled, miniaturized, corona-preionized, high-repetition-rate TEA-CO₂ laser using hydrogen buffered gas mixtures,” IEEE.J.Quantum Electron., QE-21, 1766-1771 (1985).
S.J. MacGregor, S.M. Turnbull, F.A. Tuema, O. Farish, “Factors affecting and methods of improving the pulse repetition frequency of pulse-charged and DC-charged high-pressure gas switches,” IEEE.Trans.on Plasma Sci., 25, 110-117(1997).

R. Tan, C. Wan, J. Qi, S. Liu, J. Zhou, W. Xie, J. Wu, “A sequential discharge TEA CO₂ laser with high repetition rate and high output power,” Optics and Laser Technology, 31, 393-396 (1999).
S. Ghoreyshi, K. Rahimian, A. Hariri, “Gain and saturation energy measurments in low pressure longitudinally excited N₂-lasers,” opt.communications, 238, 139-149 (2004).
O.P. Judd and J.Y. Wada, “Investigations of a UV preionized electrical discharge and CO₂ laser,” IEEE.J.quantum .Electron., QE-10, 12-20 (1974).

Keywords

three electrode spark gap

gaseous high voltage switches

trigger configurations

E. Kauffel and W. S.Zaengel “High voltage engineering fundamentals,” pergamon press, chapter 2&5 (1984).

M.A. Gundersen, “Gas-phase pulsed power switches,” IEEE.Trans.Plasma Sci., 19, 1123-1131 (1991).
J.M. Koutsoubis, S.J. MacGregor, S.M. Turnbull, “Triggered swich performance in SF₆, air, and an SF₆/air mixture,” IEEE.Trans.on Plasma Science, 27, 272-281 (1999).
P.F. Willams and F.E. Peterkin, “Triggering in trigatron spark gaps:a fundamental study,” J.Appl.Phys., 66, 4163-4175 (1989).
S.K. Dhali, P.F. Willams, "Two-dimensional studies of streamers in gases", J.Appl.Phys., 62, 4696-4707 (1987).
F. Frungel, “High speed pulse technology,” Academic press, vol. 1, ch 2 (1965).
ا. حریری، م. ترکاشوند، ف. اردوانی، ع. یراقچی، ”بررسی تجربی لیـزر ازت مولکولی که بـه طریق عرضی فعالیت می کند،“ نشریـه علمی سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران، 3، (پائیز 1362).
M. Aram, F. Soltanmoradi, A. Behjat, “Investigation on parallel spark arry pre-ionization TEA CO₂ laser,” Proceedings SPIE, 6^th Int.A.M.P.L, Tomsk,Russia, 5483, 43-50 (2003).
R. Marcheti, E. Penco, G. Salveti, “Seasled, miniaturized, corona-preionized, high-repetition-rate TEA-CO₂ laser using hydrogen buffered gas mixtures,” IEEE.J.Quantum Electron., QE-21, 1766-1771 (1985).
S.J. MacGregor, S.M. Turnbull, F.A. Tuema, O. Farish, “Factors affecting and methods of improving the pulse repetition frequency of pulse-charged and DC-charged high-pressure gas switches,” IEEE.Trans.on Plasma Sci., 25, 110-117(1997).

R. Tan, C. Wan, J. Qi, S. Liu, J. Zhou, W. Xie, J. Wu, “A sequential discharge TEA CO₂ laser with high repetition rate and high output power,” Optics and Laser Technology, 31, 393-396 (1999).
S. Ghoreyshi, K. Rahimian, A. Hariri, “Gain and saturation energy measurments in low pressure longitudinally excited N₂-lasers,” opt.communications, 238, 139-149 (2004).
O.P. Judd and J.Y. Wada, “Investigations of a UV preionized electrical discharge and CO₂ laser,” IEEE.J.quantum .Electron., QE-10, 12-20 (1974).