Date of Award

Spring 1984

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Program/Concentration

Electrical Engineering

Committee Director

G. Marshall Molen

Committee Member

Amin N. Dharamsi

Committee Member

Ronald Mielke

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.E55K55

Abstract

The feasibility of using a dense plasma focus (DPF) as a current interrupting device has been investigated. Specifically, a 34-kJ, Mather-type DPF was modified to accept a third electrode so that a discharge could be created between this electrode and the center electrode of the DPF by a 10-kJ inductive energy storage circuit. It was anticipated that the accelerating mechanisms of the DPF pinch, which are known to cause a rapid reduction in the DPF current, would interrupt the 1-kA to 10-kA secondary discharge current thus forcing the secondary current through an external load and hence result in power amplification.

It was found that the implementation of the secondary discharge had a significant effect on the sheath structure and pinch formation of the DPF. Image converter camera photographs revealed the sheath structure was less discernible, while soft x-ray pinhole photographs indicated that a dense thermal plasma may not have been formed in the DPF when used concurrently with the secondary discharge. However, it was found that the characteristics of the DPF associated with the accelerating mechanisms, such as the current reduction and hard x-rays, were at least as large as those normally observed in the device.

While an interruption of the inductive current was not observed, it was found that the DPF circuit interacted with an external load. The load currents were predictable by circuit analysis. Further experimentation revealed possible explanations why the secondary discharge caused these effects. An analysis of the various diagnostic results, while indicating several practical problems, also suggested possible approaches for correcting the deficiencies.

Rights

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DOI

10.25777/1s23-d453

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