Switching Characteristics of Two Parallel-Connected Triggered Vacuum Gaps

Abstract

In heavy-current high-voltage engineering applications need employing many gap switches in parallel operation to decrease a circuit inductance and increase a life time of gap switches
. The switching characteristics of two parallel-connected triggered vacuum gaps have, therefore, been studied experimentally.
In order to obtain good characteristics of parallel operation, both triggered vacuum gaps must be operated in connection, which the polarity of respective nonholed main electrodes is positive.
It was found that, small time delay about 24 ns could be obtained by main inductance 91μH with the equal inductance of branch circuit 3.9μH. The efficiency of parallel ignition showed nearly 100% because no dependence of interelectrode gap spacing and main inductance on main voltage was observed.
It was found that, the switching time of parallel-connected triggered vacuum gaps was independent and nearly constant approximately 0.16μs to the varieties of main voltage at the instant of chopping in the range 6.8 to 17.3 kV. This switching time was 27.5% longer than that of a single TVG under the same condition.