Electric pulse generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9953782-B2
Application number	US-201515324558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2015
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

An electric pulse generator configured to power at least one load and including an electric discharge switch including at least one piston and a chamber in which the piston can move, a propellant gas-generating trigger for moving the piston, at least one punch rigidly connected to an end of the piston, and at least one stack of layers formed from at least one pair of electrodes separated by a layer of dielectric material. The electric pulse generator further includes an energy storage device associated with the or each pair of electrodes of the electric discharge switch in at least one series connection, the load or each load being configured to be connected in parallel with the or each series connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric pulse generator, comprising:
an electric discharge switch, the electric discharge switch including at least one piston and a chamber in which the or each piston is configured to move, a propellant gas-generating trigger for moving the or each piston located in proximity to a first end of the or each piston, at least one punch rigidly connected to a second end of the or each piston, at least one stack of layers formed from at least one pair of electrodes separated by a layer of dielectric material, the or each stack being located on a side of one or more punches, the or each punch being configured to cooperate with at least one pair of electrodes, the electrodes of the pair being configured to be brought to different potentials before moving the piston carrying the punch configured to cooperate with the pair of electrodes, so that when the piston is speeded up by the gas generated by the propellant gas-generating trigger, the piston punches the layer of dielectric material separating the electrodes of the pair, leading to breakdown of the dielectric material and occurrence of an electric discharge between the electrodes of the pair,
the electric pulse generator configured to power a load;
the electric pulse generator further comprising an energy storage device associated with the or each pair of electrodes of the electric discharge switch in at least one series connection, the load or each load configured to be connected in parallel with the or each series connection.

2. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein the or each stack of layers includes plural stacked pairs of electrodes, each separated by a layer of dielectric material, two neighbouring pairs being separated by an electrically insulating spacer, so that the punch configured to cooperate with the pairs of electrodes by punching the layers of dielectric material leads to generation of plural electric discharges separated in time.

3. The electric pulse generator according to claim 2 , wherein thickness of the spacer between two neighbouring pairs of electrodes conditions a time interval between two successive electric discharges.

4. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one piston is fitted with plural punches, a same stack including at least as many pairs of electrodes as a number of punches of the piston, the pairs of electrodes being separated by a layer of dielectric material, the electrodes of different pairs being without a direct electric contact.

5. The electric pulse generator according to claim 4 , wherein the layer of dielectric material is common to plural pairs of electrodes.

6. The electric pulse generator according to claim 4 , wherein the punches of the piston by each punching the layer of dielectric material separating two electrodes of a pair of electrodes trigger substantially simultaneous electric discharges.

7. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein the electric discharge switch includes plural pistons, each fitted with at least one punch and a stack of layers dedicated to each piston, each stack of layers including at least one pair of electrodes per punch of the dedicated piston, the electrodes being separated by a layer of dielectric material, wherein the punches, by each perforating a layer of dielectric material, trigger substantially simultaneous or successive electric discharges.

8. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein the propellant gas generating trigger is a gas generating-pyrotechnic cartridge.

9. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein the or each punch is made of an electrically insulating material or a material selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, ceramics, a resin, or of an electrically conducting material, or steel.

10. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material of the layer is selected from polyethylene, polyimides, kapton.

11. The electric pulse generator according to claim 2 , wherein the spacer is made of an electrically insulating material.

12. The electric pulse generator according to claim 2 , wherein the spacer is made of an electrically conducting material, the spacer including at least one hole sized to be able to be passed through by a punch, and to be without an electric contact with the punch passing through it, when the punch is made of an electrically conducting material.

13. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein the electrodes of the pair or of each pair are made of an electrically conducting material or selected from aluminium, copper, or alloys thereof.

14. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein thickness of the layer of dielectric material separating the or each pair of electrodes is selected as a function of the storage capacity of the energy storage device associated with the or each pair of electrodes so that the electric discharge generated by the electric discharge switch is capable of making the energy storage device discharge itself.

15. The electric pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is a voltage source, or is selected from a capacitor, a capacitor bank, a supercapacitor.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Commissariat A Lenergie Atomique E Aux Energies Alternatives

Inventors

• Monjaux Philippe

Classifications

• H01H39/002

  provided with a cartridge-magazine · CPC title

• H01H39/004 Primary

  Closing switches · CPC title

• H01H39/00

  Switching devices actuated by an explosion produced within the device and initiated by an electric current · CPC title

• H03K3/53

  by the use of an energy-accumulating element discharged through the load by a switching device controlled by an external signal and not incorporating positive feedback (H03K3/335 takes precedence) · CPC title