IMPULSE VOLTAGE SOURCES

IMPULSE VOLTAGE GENERATOR basic circuit applicable to both LI and SI

1. Surge capacitor C1 is charged and the switch is closed
Rv R1 Switch is typically a triggered (ignitable) sphere gap (trigatron)

2. The charge in C1 is distributed quickly between load

capacitance C2 so that the voltage over both becomes
equal
U0 C1 R2 C2 U2 During this distribution phase some energy is transformed into
heat mainly by damping resistance R1 (determines impulse
voltage front T1)
Once C2 is charged, voltage has reached its maximum value
(impulse voltage peak Up)

3. Next, the discharge phase starts. Remaining energy is

transformed into heat mainly in discharge resistance
R2 (determines impulse voltage tail T2).
U

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Rv
Single stage impulse generator reaches ~ 100 kV R1

For higher voltages basic circuits are constructed on top of C1 R2 C2

each other to create n stage generators

Marx Generator Erwin Marx (1923)

Typically 100 250 kV

per stage
Can reach tens of stages
(not limited by voltage
drop)
Indoors: 400 4000 kV
Outdoors: 10 MV
Typical energy 10 20 kJ

Aalto University 2.5 MV Marx Generator

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9 MV

100 kV

2 MV
(1923)

3.6 MV
(portable)

9 MV 7.2 MV 4.2 MV (high altitude testing, Tibet, 4300 m

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1. Capacitors are charged in parallel to desired voltage and first spark gap is triggered
2. The rapid change in potential causes the subsequent gaps to ignite causing the stages to be
connected in series
3. Output voltage is the product of charging voltage and the number of stages U0 = n Uc

RD RD RD
RD RD RD
RE RE RE

CS CS CS
RD RD RD
RC CB RC CB RC CB UO
RE RE RE

CS CS CS
RD RD RD
RC RC RC
RE RE RE
RC RC RC

CS UC CS UC CS

3 Stage Impulse
CHARGING DISCHARGING
Generator

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 Charging

Discharging (T1)

Discharging (T2)

33

JVK1

U0 = nUC RD
Voltage over test object
RD U 0 1 2
C1 = Cs / n
RE
u0 (t )
R1C2 2 1

e t 2 e t 1
C2 = Cb + Ctest object
CS
R1 = nRD + RD RD Time to peak
RC CB u0
R2 nRE RE 1 2 2
Tp ln
C1C2 2 1 1
1 R1 CS
C1 C2 RD Efficiency
RC
2 R2 C1 C2
RE
RC u0 C1

UC CS U 0 C1 C2

Impulse generators are usually designed C1 >> C2 so that energy,

1
W C1U 02
2
is sufficient to achieve desired pulse shape

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 RD Damping resistance R1 and load capacitance
RD C2 determine front time T1 and time to peak Tp
RE
Discharge resistance R2 and surge
capacitance C1 determine time to half value T2
CS
RD Charging resistors RC limits current to protect
RC CB U0 source
RE

CS 1.0
0.9
RD
RC
RE
0.5
RC
Tp

UC CS T2
0 t

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