Theoretical modeling of the plasma erosion opening switch for inductive storage applications

TLDR

The paper presents a theoretical model of the plasma erosion opening switch that predicts voltage, current, and impedance histories based on input waveforms, geometry, and switch parameters. The model derives scaling relations, system requirements for pulse compression and power multiplication, and is implemented in a transmission line code to compare with experiments. The PEOS meets the derived system requirements, achieving fast opening with ~10‑ns switching, ~60‑ns conduction, and ~600‑kA peak currents, as confirmed by code‑experiment agreement.

Abstract

A theoretical model for the plasma erosion opening switch (PEOS) is presented which predicts its voltage, current and impedance history as a function of the input waveforms, geometry, and switch parameters. Scaling relations for the switch operation are developed from this model. System requirements for pulse compression and power multiplication using inductive storage are derived from a simple lumped circuit analysis and a transmission line analysis. These requirements are shown to be satisfied using the PEOS as a fast opening, vacuum switch in a configuration relevant for existing high-power accelerators. The switch model is incorporated into a transmission line code for comparison with recent inductive storage experiments. Code results agree well with the data showing conduction times of ∼60 ns and switching times of ∼10 ns with peak currents of ∼600 kA.