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High pulsed power LTD
LTDs (Linear Transformer Drivers) are high pulsed power generators from the IVA (Inductive Voltage Adders) family. Just like the IVA, LTDs use the voltage adding phenomenon along a magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL). On the other hand, in LTDs the elements providing energy storage (capacitive), switching and pulse shaping are incorporated into the basic modules. This offers much better compactness than more traditional technologies based on Marx generators.
The technology was initially developed in the 1990's for generating pulses lasting about a millionth of a second thanks to very low-inductance multichannel switches, the MMCS (Multigap Multichannel Coaxial Switch). Development of systems generating pulses ten times shorter (100 billionths of a second) was then made possible at the beginning of the millennium, thanks to specific architecture, low inductance condensers and new extremely compact MMCS. This type of extremely rapid LTD is called an LTDR.
At present, LTD technology can be developed for producing generators with very different performances. However, it becomes extremely significant for producing large high pulsed power systems, where compactness, modularity and ease of maintenance, which are the characteristics of the technology, prove to be particularly important.
The main characteristics of LTD technology generators are as follows:
- output voltage up to several million volts;
- output current up to several million amperes;
- pulse length from several ten-billionths of a second up to several millionths of a second;
- the possibility of making the output voltage vary easily within a wide range, without deteriorating the pulse timing jitter;
- the possibility of operating in positive and negative polarity;
- sureness of use (no external point carried to high voltage);
- compactness;
- modularity: The unit is comprised of strictly identical basic elements;
- upgradability;
- ease of maintenance.
