System and method for a high speed, high voltage pulse power generator

• US 9,178,500 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US13/353,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 307/106, 307/105, 307/43, 307/650, 363/21.13, 363/20, 363/39, 363/40, 333/181, 323/285, 331/172
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, wherein the inductive storage device comprises a first end and a second end;

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;

a bypass capacitor, wherein the inductive storage device is connected with the switch on the first end and the bypass capacitor on the second end; and

a pulse shaping circuit coupled between the switch and a load for shaping the output pulse, the pulse shaping circuit comprising an inductor and a capacitor connected in series, wherein the pulse shaping circuit is configured to shape the output pulse responsive to adjustments in values of the inductor and the capacitor.

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

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inductive storage device is configured to be 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 second plurality of bypass capacitors.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the switch comprises an NMOS transistor,

the inductive storage device is configured to be charged during a conducting state of the NMOS transistor, and

the inductive storage device comprises a plurality of inductors connected in series.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

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

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the output protection circuit comprises:

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

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

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pulse shaping circuit configured to shape the output pulse; and

a protection circuit comprising one end and another end, the protection circuit being coupled to an output of the switch on the one end and the pulse shaping circuit on the another end, wherein the protection circuit is configured to suppress an amount of overvoltage at the output of the switch.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the protection circuit comprises:

a plurality of transient voltage suppression devices; and

a diode with a first end and a second end,

wherein;

the first end of the diode is connected with the switch, and

the second end of the diode is connected with the pulse shaping circuit and at least one of the plurality of transient voltage suppression devices.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the first power supply comprises a first direct current (DC) power supply and the second power supply comprises a second DC power supply.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of capacitors, wherein:

the bypass capacitor is one of the plurality of bypass capacitors, and

the inductive storage device is coupled to the first power supply through the plurality of bypass capacitors.

8. 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 configured to receive a high charging current from a common power supply, wherein each of the plurality of inductive storage devices comprises a respective first end and a respective second end;

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

a plurality of bypass capacitors; and

a pulse shaping circuit coupled between at least one of the plurality of switches and a load, the pulsed shaping circuit comprising an inductor and a capacitor connected in series, wherein the pulse shaping circuit is configured to shape an output pulse of the at least one of the plurality of switches responsive to adjustments in values of the inductor and the capacitor,

wherein each of the plurality of inductive storage devices is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of switches on the respective first end and is coupled to at least one of the plurality of bypass capacitors on the respective second end.

9. The system of claim 8, 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 a generated voltage pulse from the corresponding one of the plurality of inductive storage devices is transferred to an independent load.

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

coupling a direct current (DC) power supply to an inductive storage device through at least one bypass capacitor;

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

transferring the generated high voltage pulse to an output load during a second mode of operation, wherein the transferring comprises;

electrically coupling the generated high voltage pulse to a protection circuit for suppressing an amount of overvoltage;

shaping an output of the protection circuit to generate a shaped voltage pulse; and

transferring the shaped voltage pulse to the output load; and

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

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

storing the inductive charge comprises receiving a high charging current from the DC power supply, and

the DC power supply is a variable DC power supply.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the shaping is responsive to adjustments in capacitor and inductor values at the output load.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

14. The method of claim 13, wherein suppressing the amount of overvoltage comprises electrically coupling a plurality of transient voltage suppression devices parallel to the output load.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

wherein the received step signal is a continuous pulse of a defined frequency.

16. The method of claim 15, 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.