Thyratron Marx high voltage generator

Claim 2

A Marx generator comprising a plurality of stages between a direct-current source and a load, each stage comprising an electrostatic storage device and a thyratron having cathode, grid and anode electrodes, a plurality of anode impedance devices each connected between the anode electrodes of two adjacent stages, a plurality of cathode impedance devices, one connected between the cathode electrode of the first stage and a reference point and one connected between the cathode electrodes of each adjacent stage, each of said electrostatic storage devices having two terminals, one connected to the anode electrode of the same stage and the other coupled to a reference point, said coupling to a reference point being direct in the first stage and including said cathode impedance devices for the intermediate stages, said load being connected between the cathode electrode of the last of said stages and said reference point, charging means coupling said direct-current source between the anode electrode of the first stage and said reference point to charge all of said electrostatic storage devices in parallel, the grid electrode of at least the first stage being coupled to an external trigger source, trigger means for the other stages, so that in response to a trigger signal from said external trigger source, the thyratron of the first stage and the other stages are fired into conduction, which effectively connects all of said electrostatic storage devices in series to supply an output pulse to said load of the same polarity as said direct-current source.

Claim 3

A Marx generator comprising a plurality of stages between a direct-current source and a load, each of said stages comprising an electrostatic storage device, a thyratron having cathode, grid and anode electrodes, an anode impedance device, and a cathode impedance device, said cathode impedance device of some of said stages being an inductor having a secondary winding to form a transformer; each of said electrostatic storage devices having two terminals, one connected to the anode electrode of the same stage and the other coupled to a reference point, said coupling to said reference point being direct in the first stage and including said cathode impedance device for the intermediate stages; each of said anode impedance devices connected between the anode electrodes of two adjacent stages; each of said cathode impedance devices connected between the cathode electrodes in the intermediate stages, and between the cathode electrode and said reference point in the first stage; said load being connected between the cathode of the last stage and a reference point, whereby the output pulse is of the same polarity as said direct current source; charging means coupling said direct-current source between the anode electrode of the first stage and a reference point to charge all of said electrostatic storage devices in parallel, the grid electrode of the first stage being coupled to an external trigger source; and triggering means coupling the grid and cathode electrodes of each stage other than the first stage to either said external trigger source or to said secondary winding of a previous stage, so that after the first stage is fired into conduction from the external trigger source, the other stages are fired into conduction, which effectively connects all of said electrostatic storage devices in series to supply an output pulse to said load.

Claim 4

A Marx generator comprising a plurality of stages between a direct-current source and a load, each of said stages comprising an electrostatic storage device, a thyratron having cathode, grid and anode electrodes, an anode impedance device, and a cathode impedance device, said cathode impedance device of some of said stages being an inductor having a secondary winding to form a transformer; each of said electrostatic storage devices having two terminals, one connected to the anode electrode of the same stage and the other coupled to a reference point, said coupling to said reference point being direct in the first stage and including said cathode impedance device for the intermediate stages; each of said anode impedance devices connected between the anode electrodes of two adjacent stages; each of said cathode impedance devices connected between the cathode electrodes in the intermediate stages, and between the cathode electrode and said reference point in the first stage; said load being connected between the cathode of the last stage and a reference point, whereby the output pulse is of the same polarity as said direct current source; charging means coupling said direct-current source between the anode electrode of the first stage and a reference point to charge all of said electrostatic storage devices in parallel, the grid electrode of the first stage being coupled to an external trigger source; and triggering means coupling the grid and cathode electrodes of each stage other than the first stage to either said external trigger source or to said secondary winding of a previous stage, so that after the first stage is fired into conduction from the external trigger source, the other stages are fired into conduction, which effectively connects all of said electrostatic storage devices in series to supply an output pulse to said load.

Claim 5

A Marx generator comprising a plurality of stages between a direct-current source and a load, each of said stages comprising an electrostatic storage device, a thyratron having cathode, grid and anode electrodes, an anode impedance device, and a cathode impedance device, said cathode impedance device of all stages other than the last stage being an inductor having a secondary winding to form a transformer; each of said electrostatic storage devices having two terminals, one connected to the anode electrode of the same stage and the other coupled to a reference point, said coupling to said reference point being direct in the first stage and including said cathode impedance device for the intermediate stages; each of said anode impedance devices connected between the anode electrodes of two adjacent stages; each of said cathode impedance devices connected between the cathode electrodes in the intermediate stages, and between the cathode electrode and said reference point in the first stage; said load being connected between the cathode of the last stage and a reference point, whereby the output pulse is of the same polarity as said direct current source; charging means coupling said direct-current source between the anode electrode of the first stage and a reference point to charge all of said electrostatic storage devices in parallel, the grid electrode of the first stage being coupled to an external trigger source; and triggering means coupling the grid and cathode electrodes for each stage after the first to said secondary winding of a previous stage, so that after the first stage is fired into conduction from the external trigger source, the other stages are fired into conduction in succession by the induced voltages in the secondary windings produced by the discharge current through the cathode impedance devices.

Claim 6

A Marx generator comprising a plurality of stages between a direct-current source and a load, each of said stages comprising an electrostatic storage device, a thyratron having cathode, grid and anode electrodes, an anode impedance device, and a cathode impedance device, said cathode impedance device of all stages other than the last stage being an inductor having a secondary winding to form a transformer; each of said electrostatic storage devices having two terminals, one connected to the anode electrode of the same stage and the other coupled to a reference point, said coupling to said reference point being direct in the first stage and including said cathode impedance device for the intermediate stages; each of said anode impedance devices connected between the anode electrodes of two adjacent stages; each of said cathode impedance devices connected between the cathode electrodes in the intermediate stages, and between the cathode electrode and said reference point in the first stage; said load being connected between the cathode of the last stage and a reference point, whereby the output pulse is of the same polarity as said direct current source; charging means coupling said direct-current source between the anode electrode of the first stage and a reference point to charge all of said electrostatic storage devices in parallel, the grid electrode of the first stage being coupled to an external trigger source; and triggering means coupling the grid and cathode electrodes for each stage after the first to said secondary winding of a previous stage, so that after the first stage is fired into conduction from the external trigger source, the other stages are fired into conduction in succession by the induced voltages in the secondary windings produced by the discharge current through the cathode impedance devices.

Claim 7

A Marx generator comprising a plurality of stages between a direct-current source and a load, said stages being organized into groups of N stages each, each of said stages comprising an electrostatic storage device, a thyratron having cathode, grid and anode electrodes, an anode impedance device, and a cathode impedance device, said cathode impedance devices other than those of the last group being inductors having secondary windings to form transformers; each of said electrostatic storage devices having two terminals, one connected to the anode electrode of the same stage and the other coupled to a reference point, said coupling to said reference point being direct in the first stage and including said cathode impedance device of the intermediate stages; each of said cathode impedance devices connected between the cathode electrodes in the intermediate stages, and between the cathode electrode and said reference point in the first stage; said load being connected between the cathode of the last stage and a reference point, whereby the output pulse is of the same polarity as said direct current source; charging means coupling said direct-current source between the anode electrode of the first stage and a reference point to charge all of said electrostatic storage devices in parallel; and triggering means coupling the grid electrodes of the stages of the first group to the external trigger source, and coupling each secondary winding to the grid and cathode electrodes of the N+1 stage following it, so that after the stages of the first group are fired into conduction from the external trigger source, the other stages are fired into conduction in groups of N stages in succession by the induced voltages in the secondary windings produced by the discharge currents through the cathode impedance devices.

Claim 8

A Marx generator comprising a plurality of stages between a direct-current source and a load, said stages being organized into groups of N stages each, each of said stages comprising an electrostatic storage device, a thyratron having cathode, grid and anode electrodes, an anode impedance device, and a cathode impedance device, said cathode impedance devices other than those of the last group being inductors having secondary windings to form transformers; each of said electrostatic storage devices having two terminals, one connected to the anode electrode of the same stage and the other coupled to a reference point, said coupling to said reference point being direct in the first stage and including said cathode impedance device of the intermediate stages; each of said cathode impedance devices connected between the cathode electrodes in the intermediate stages, and between the cathode electrode and said reference point in the first stage; said load being connected between the cathode of the last stage and a reference point, whereby the output pulse is of the same polarity as said direct current source; charging means coupling said direct-current source between the anode electrode of the first stage and a reference point to charge all of said electrostatic storage devices in parallel; and triggering means coupling the grid electrodes of the stages of the first group to the external trigger source, and coupling each secondary winding to the grid and cathode electrodes of the N+1 stage following it, so that after the stages of the first group are fired into conduction from the external trigger source, the other stages are fired into conduction in groups of N stages in succession by the induced voltages in the secondary windings produced by the discharge currents through the cathode impedance devices.

Claim 9

A Marx generator according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said anode impedance devices and said cathode impedance devices are all inductors.