Spark gap comprising a capacitive energy store

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9825434-B2
Application number	US-201214412703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2012
Priority date	May 30, 2012
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A spark gap including a capacitive energy store is provided. The spark gap is fed via a multiplicity of capacitors arranged in a form of a ring, wherein the capacitors are electrically connected to the anode and the cathode via ring-shaped and conical or funnel-shaped conductors. As a result, sudden changes in impedance can be avoided. At the same time, it is possible to realize as large a cross-sectional area of the conductor as possible within a very small space. Therefore, the spark gap has a switching response with a high rate of rise of the voltage pulse as soon as the spark gaps flash over. This results in an easily predictable switching response of the spark gap. The spark gap can be used, for example, to generate pulses of monochromatic X-ray radiation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spark gap device comprising:
an anode and a cathode, wherein a capacitive energy store is used for striking the spark gap, and wherein a multiplicity of capacitors, which are connected in parallel and which are arranged concentrically about an axis in at least one of a ring and in a form of two concentric rings, having in each case a same axial orientation of capacitor poles, is provided as energy store, further wherein an electrical connection to the cathode has a connection ring, which is connected to the capacitor poles of a same polarity of all of the multiplicity of capacitors, and the electrical connection to the anode has a further connection ring, which is connected to the capacitor poles of the same polarity of all of the multiplicity of capacitors.

2. The spark gap device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection ring opens out into a conical region on an inner side of the connection ring, a point of the conical region being at least one of connected to the cathode and forming the cathode.

3. The spark gap device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the further connection ring opens out into a funnel on an inner side of the connection ring, a wall of the funnel acting as the electrical connection, and the anode being arranged in a smaller funnel opening of the funnel.

4. The spark gap device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the anode is in a form of a film or is provided with a target which is in another way suitable for generating monochromatic X-ray radiation, wherein the anode is electrically conductively fastened on an end side of the wall of the funnel which surrounds the smaller funnel opening.

5. The spark gap device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the multiplicity of capacitors are arranged in a plurality of concentric rings.

6. The spark gap device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spark gap has a first spark gap and a second gap, which are connected to one another by a central piece, wherein the first spark gap is formed between the cathode and the central piece, the central piece is connected to the anode via a line, in which an electrical resistor is provided, and the second spark gap is formed between the central piece and the anode.

7. The spark gap device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spark gap is provided for generating X-ray radiation, wherein the anode is used as target for generating the X-ray radiation.

8. The spark gap device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein monochromatic X-ray radiation is generated by the anode.

Assignees

• Heid Oliver
• Hughes Timothy
• Sirtl Jennifer
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Heid Oliver
• Hughes Timothy
• Sirtl Jennifer

Classifications

• H01G4/02

  Gas or vapour dielectrics · CPC title

• H01J2235/166

  against electromagnetic radiation · CPC title

• H01T1/20 Primary

  Means for starting arc or facilitating ignition of spark gap · CPC title

• H01J35/22

  specially designed for passing a very high current for a very short time, e.g. for flash operation · CPC title

• H05G1/24

  Obtaining pulses by using energy storage devices · CPC title