Linear transformer driver for pulse generation with fifth harmonic

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9602087-B2
Application number	US-201414305186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A linear transformer driver includes at least one ferrite ring positioned to accept a load. The linear transformer driver also includes a first, second, and third power delivery module. The first power delivery module sends a first energy in the form of a first pulse to the load. The second power delivery module sends a second energy in the form of a second pulse to the load. The third power delivery module sends a third energy in the form of a third pulse to the load. The linear transformer driver is configured to form a flat-top pulse by the superposition of the first, second, and third pulses. The first, second, and third pulses have different frequencies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A linear transformer driver comprising:
a core including ferrite rings positioned to accept a load within a center of the ferrite rings;
a first array of Power Delivery Modules (“PDMs”), wherein each of the PDMs in the first array is coupled to deliver a first pulse having a first frequency to the load;
a second array of Modified Power Delivery Modules (“MPDM”), wherein each of the MPDMs in the second array is coupled to deliver a second pulse having a second frequency to the load, wherein the second frequency is approximately three times the first frequency; and
at least one Fifth Harmonic Power Delivery Module (“FHPDM”), wherein the at least one FHPDM is coupled to deliver a third pulse having a third frequency to the load, wherein the third frequency is approximately five times the first frequency, the core configured to electromagnetically force the first pulse, the second pulse, and the third pulse to the load by temporarily isolating the first pulse, the second pulse, and the third pulse from an electrical ground.

2. The linear transformer driver of claim 1 , wherein s represents a number of PDMs in the first array, m represents a number of MPDMs in the second array, and ƒ represents a number of FHPDMs, and wherein m divide by s is between 0.5 and 0.7, and further wherein ƒ divided by s is approximately equal to m divided by s subtracted by 0.4.

3. The linear transformer driver of claim 1 , wherein each PDM includes first charge storing elements having a first capacitance, each MPDM includes second charge storing elements having a second capacitance, and each FHPDM includes third charge storing elements having a third capacitance, and wherein the first capacitance is between eight and twelve times the second capacitance and approximately twenty-five times the third capacitance.

4. The linear transformer driver of claim 3 , wherein the first charge storing elements, the second charge storing elements, and the third charge storing elements are coupled to be charged by charging circuitry.

5. The linear transformer driver of claim 1 , wherein the PDMs, the MPDMs, and the at least one FHPDMs are positioned radially around the core to provide similar conductor length from the core to the PDMs, the MPDMs, and the FHPDMs.

6. The linear transformer driver of claim 1 , wherein each PDM, MPDM, and FHPDM includes a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein the first conductors are routed through a first ferrite ring of the core to a chassis of the linear transformer driver, and wherein the second conductors are routed through a second ferrite ring of the core to the chassis.

7. The linear transformer driver of claim 6 , wherein the chassis is a substantially doughnut-shaped metal chassis that encloses the PDMs, the MPDMs, and the at least one FHPDM, and wherein the first ferrite ring and the second ferrite ring encircle an inner cylindrical surface of the substantially doughnut-shaped metal chassis.

8. The linear transformer driver of claim 6 , wherein the linear transformer driver is configured to deliver the first pulse, the second pulse, and the third pulse to the load across an anode-cathode gap between the inner cylindrical surface of the substantially doughnut-shaped metal chassis and the load, wherein the load is to be a cylindrical electrode.

9. The linear transformer driver of claim 6 , wherein the first ferrite ring is stacked co-axially with the second ferrite ring.

10. The linear transformer driver of claim 1 further comprising a trigger unit coupled to transmit a trigger signal to the PDMs, the MPDMs, and the at least one FHPDM.

11. The linear transformer driver of claim 10 , wherein each of the PDMs, the MPDMs, and the at least one FHPDM include a switch coupled to receive the trigger signal.

12. A linear transformer driver comprising:
at least one ferrite ring positioned to accept a load within a center of the at least one ferrite ring;
a first power delivery module including a first charge storage device and a first switch coupled to selectively transfer a first charge, in the form of a first pulse, from the first charge storage device to a first conductor routed to deliver a first energy from the first pulse to the load;
a second power delivery module including a second charge storage device and a second switch coupled to selectively transfer a second charge, in the form of a second pulse, from the second charge storage device to a second conductor routed to deliver a second energy from the second pulse to the load; and
a third power delivery module including a third charge storage device and a third switch coupled to selectively transfer a third charge, in the form of a third pulse, from the third charge storage device to a third conductor routed to deliver a third energy from the third pulse to the load, wherein the linear transformer driver is configured to form a square pulse by the superposition of the first, second, and third pulses, wherein the first, second, and third pulses having different frequencies.

13. The linear transformer driver of claim 12 , wherein the second pulse has a second frequency approximately three times a first frequency of the first pulse, and wherein the third pulse has third frequency approximately five times the first frequency.

14. The linear transformer driver of claim 12 , wherein the at least one ferrite ring is positioned to electromagnetically transfer the first energy, the second energy, and the third energy to the load.

15. The linear transformer driver of claim 12 , wherein the at least one ferrite ring is configured to be saturated by the first energy from the first pulse, the second energy from the second pulse, and the third energy from the third pulse for between 75 and 200 ns.

16. The linear transformer driver of claim 12 further comprising a trigger unit coupled to transmit a trigger signal to the first, second, and third power delivery modules.

17. A method of delivering a substantially flat-top pulse to a load with a linear transformer driver, the method including:
charging a first, a second, and a third power delivery module to a first, a second, and a third electrical energy, respectively;
transferring the first electrical energy from the first power delivery module to a load via a first pulse;
transferring the second electrical energy from the second power delivery module to the load via a second pulse; and
transferring the third electrical energy from the third power delivery module to the load via a third pulse, wherein the substantially flat-top pulse is formed by the superposition of the first, second, and third pulses, wherein the first, second, and third pulses having different frequencies.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second pulse has a second frequency approximately three times a first frequency of the first pulse, and wherein the third pulse has third frequency approximately five times the first frequency.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein said transferring of the first, second, and third electrical energy is initiated simultaneously.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
de-magnetizing a ferrite core of the linear transformer driver after transferring the first, second, and third electrical energy to the load.

Assignees

• Sandia Corp
• Kim Alexander A
• Sinebryukhov Vadim A
• Volkov Sergey N
• Kondratiev Sergey S
• Alexeenko Vitaly M
• Bayol Frederic
• Demol Gauthier

Inventors

• Mazarakis Michael G
• Kim Alexander A
• Sinebryukhov Vadim A
• Volkov Sergey N
• Kondratiev Sergey S
• Alexeenko Vitaly M
• Bayol Frederic
• Demol Gauthier
• Stygar William A
• Leckbee Joshua
• Oliver Bryan V
• Kiefer Mark L

Classifications

• H03K3/57

  the switching device being a semiconductor device · CPC title

• H03K4/94 Primary

  having trapezoidal shape · CPC title