SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A HIGH SPEED, HIGH VOLTAGE PULSE POWER GENERATOR

• US 20130181525A1
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: de Jesus, Raymond A., Roney, J. Patrick, Wiehn, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 9,178,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/43
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/618 using semiconductor devices in series and in parallel with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/00 Circuit arrangements for dc mains or dc distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/335 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/57 the switching device being a semiconductor device

Abstract

A pulse generator system and method, including an inductive storage device configured to perform a charging process using a high current received from a first power supply; and a switch that is powered by a second power supply and configured to receive a step signal through a gate driver for controlling a repetition rate of the inductive storage device charging process and a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of an output pulse.

Claims

1. A pulse generator system, comprising:

an inductive storage device configured to perform a charging process using a high current received from a first power supply; and

a switch powered by a second power supply and configured to receive a step signal through a gate driver for controlling a repetition rate of the inductive storage device charging process and a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of an output pulse.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch toggles between open and closed modes of operation responsive to the step signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inductive storage device is charged during a closed mode operation of the switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch is coupled to the second power supply through a plurality of bypass capacitors.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises an NMOS transistor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the inductive storage device is charged during a conducting state of the NMOS transistor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the inductive storage device comprises a plurality of inductors connected in series.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the inductive storage device is coupled to the first power supply through a plurality of bypass capacitors.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pulse shaping circuit coupled between the switch and the load for shaping the generated voltage pulse, the output turning circuit comprising an inductor and a capacitor connected in series.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pulse shaping circuit shapes the generated voltage pulse responsive to adjustments in values of the capacitor and inductor.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an output protection circuit configured to suppress an amount of overvoltage at the output of the switch during the open mode operation of the switch.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the output protection circuit comprises:

a plurality of transient voltage suppression devices electrically coupled in parallel to the load, and

a Schottky diode electrically coupled to the output of the switch and the plurality of transient voltage suppression devices for reducing reflections.

13. A multi-channel pulse generation system, comprising:

a plurality of inductive storage devices for generating continuous high voltage pulses at a high pulse repetition frequency (PRF), the plurality of inductive storage devices receiving a high charging current from a common power supply; and

a plurality of switches for transferring the generated high voltage pulses from the inductive storage devices to respective outputs, each of the plurality of switches being coupled to one of the plurality of inductive storage devices such that each inductive storage device is independently controlled.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of switches is configured to receive a step signal independently that is logically gated to a voltage from an independent power supply such that the generated voltage pulse from the corresponding inductive storage device is transferred to an independent load.

15. A method of generating a high voltage pulse, the method comprising:

storing an inductive charge during a first mode of operation to generate a high voltage pulse;

transferring the generated voltage pulse to an output load during a second mode of operation; and

receiving a step signal that is logically gated to a voltage signal to toggle between the first and second modes of operation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein storing the inductive charge comprises receiving a high charging current from a variable DC power supply.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

shaping the generated voltage pulse responsive to adjustments in capacitor and inductor values at the output load.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

suppressing an amount of overvoltage at the output load during the first mode of operation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein suppressing the amount of overvoltage comprises electrically coupling a plurality of transient voltage suppression devices parallel to the output load.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the received step signal is a continuous pulse of a defined frequency.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

electrically coupling another inductive storage device to the inductive storage device to produce multiple independent channels of generated voltage pulses.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving another step signal at the another inductive storage device that is independent of the step signal received at the inductive storage device in order to generate voltage pulses in each channel independently.