Application of an impedance matching transformer to a plasma focus

A plasma focus was constructed using an impedance matching transformer to improve power transfer between the pulse power and the dynamic plasma load. The system relied on two switches and twelve transformer cores to produce a 100 kA pulse in short circuit on the secondary at 27 kV on the primary with 110 J stored. With the two transformer systems in parallel, the Thevenin equivalent circuit parameters on the secondary side of the driver are: C = 10.9 μF, V(0) = 4.5 kV, L = 17 nH, and R = 5 mΩ. An equivalent direct drive circuit would require a large number of switches in parallel, to achieve the same Thevenin equivalent. The benefits of this approach are replacement of consumable switches with non-consumable transformer cores, reduction of the driver inductance and resistance as viewed by the dynamic load, and reduction of the stored energy to produce a given peak current. The system is designed to operate at 100 Hz, so minimizing the stored energy results in less load on the thermal management system. When operated at 1 Hz, the neutron yield from the transformer matched plasma focus was similar to the neutron yield from a conventional (directly driven) plasma focus at the same peak current.     

Faraday cup with nanosecond response and adjustable impedance for fast electron beam characterization

A movable Faraday cup design with simple structure and adjustable impedance is described in this work. This Faraday cup has external adjustable shunt resistance for self-biased measurement setup and 50 Ω characteristic impedance to match with 50 Ω standard BNC coaxial cable and vacuum feedthroughs for nanosecond-level pulse signal measurements. Adjustable shunt resistance allows self-biased measurements to be quickly acquired to determine the electron energy distribution function. The performance of the Faraday cup is validated by tests of response time and amplitude of output signal. When compared with a reference source, the percent difference of the Faraday cup signal fall time is less than 10% for fall times greater than 10 ns. The percent difference of the Faraday cup signal pulse width is below 6.7% for pulse widths greater than 10 ns. A pseudospark-generated electron beam is used to compare the amplitude of the Faraday cup signal with a calibrated F-70 commercial current transformer. The error of the Faraday cup output amplitude is below 10% for the 4-14 kV tested pseudospark voltages. The main benefit of this Faraday cup is demonstrated by adjusting the external shunt resistance and performing the self-biased method for obtaining the electron energy distribution function. Results from a 4 kV pseudospark discharge indicate a "double-humped" energy distribution.     

Characteristics of MEDM for micro-holes with respect to circuit elements

Micro electrical discharge machining (MEDM) is a promising technology for fabricating micro-parts on a variety of materials. An RC circuit is suitable for MEDM because it produces low pulse width and relatively high peak current. However, it is not well understood how circuit elements affect machining characteristics of MEDM. In this paper, the effects of circuit elements on MEDM of micro-holes and the relation between characteristic variables of process and machining characteristics was investigated. Since the discharge inductance causes an increase in electrode wear and machining time, it should be minimized in MEDM. From this study, it should be less than a few μH. The machining time also increases with increasing the charging resistance. If the charging resistance is less than a few hundreds Ω, however, continuous arc discharge occurs and the machining speed is markedly reduced.     

Alternating current impedance spectroscopy measurement under high pressure

A microcircuit was designed and fabricated on a diamond anvil cell for alternating current impedance spectroscopy measurement under high pressure. Sputtered molybdenum film on a diamond anvil was used as an electrode, maintained the contact between the sample and the electrode stable, and reduced the electrode effect on the impedance measurement. By the empty cell and short circuit tests, the parasitic capacitive impedance from the sample chamber wall was observed to be larger than 10(5) Ω at a frequency lower than 1.0 MHz and could be ignored for samples with higher conductivity. The wire inductance was only 1.0 μH and just appeared at frequency higher than 20 kHz, which could be subtracted from measured impedance for the samples with higher impedance than several hundred ohms. Using this apparatus, the impedances of the II-VI group cadmium sulfide were measured. The pressure dependence of the grain interior conductance of CdS crystal was obtained, which reflected that the phase transitions of CdS under high pressure are the same as the single crystal measurement results.     

Development of a compact permanent magnet helicon plasma source for ion beam bioengineering

A compact helicon plasma source was developed as a millimeter-sized ion source for ion beam bioengineering. By employing a stacked arrangement of annular-shaped permanent magnets, a uniform axial magnetic flux density up to 2.8 kG was obtained. A cost effective 118 MHz RF generator was built for adjusting forward output power from 0 to 40 W. The load impedance and matching network were then analyzed. A single loop antenna and circuit matching elements were placed on a compact printed circuit board for 50 Ω impedance matching. A plasma density up to 1.1 × 10(12) cm(-3) in the 10 mm diameter tube under the magnetic flux density was achieved with 35 W applied RF power.     

Hg2I2声光器件中换能器电输入阻抗的研究

利用压电换能器等效电路网络分析法，计算了以环氧树脂为缓冲层(粘接层)的x-cut LN／Hg2I2声光器件中换能器三层和五层结构的换能器规一化电输入阻抗|Zi|随归一化频率f／fo的变化值，绘出了|Zi|-f／fo关系立体图。得出器件的输入阻抗是射频频率复杂的复数函数及在不同频率段分别呈现感抗和容抗特性的结论。     

Filamentary streamer discharges in argon at atmospheric pressure excited by surface plasmon polaritons

This paper describes a microwave plasma jet in an argon atmosphere capable of generating filamentary streamer discharges within the entire quartz tube excited by surface waves of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) located in the tube. Several discharge streamers are immediately produced at the end of the copper wire when incident power reaches 20 W. From simulations, the wavelength of the surface wave was found to be approximately 5.7 cm. Although the developing streamers induce E-field enhancements favoring discharging, more streamer bifurcations requiring additional energy to maintain discharging diminish the resonant enhanced E-field. The underlying mechanism of the proposed plasma jet is resonant excitation of SPPs and its interaction with plasmas.     

Radio-frequency plasma transducer for use in harsh environments

We describe a compact transducer used to generate and modulate low-intensity radio-frequency atmospheric pressure plasma (RF-APP) for high temperature gap measurement and generation of air-coupled ultrasound. The new transducer consists of a quarter-wave transmission line where the ground return path is a coaxial solenoid winding. The RF-APP is initiated at the open end of the transmission line and stabilized by passive negative feedback between the electrical impedance of the plasma and the energy stored in the solenoid. The electrical impedance of the plasma was measured at the lower-voltage source end of the transducer, eliminating the need to measure kilovolt-level voltages near the discharge. We describe the use of a 7 MHz RF-APP prototype as a harsh-environment clearance sensor to demonstrate the suitability of plasma discharges for a common nondestructive inspection application. Clearance measurements of 0-5 mm were performed on a rotating calibration target with a measurement precision of 0.1 mm and a 20 kHz sampling rate.     

Inductively coupled probe for the measurement of partial discharges

Partial discharges are a transient phenomena whose measurement is remarkably important for electrical equipment diagnosis and maintenance. These discharges appear in the measurement circuit as very narrow current pulses of some nanoseconds. Therefore, discharge pulse detection is a particularly difficult problem, especially because they are superposed on the high voltage waveforms that cause them. In this paper, we present an inductively coupled probe able to measure this physical phenomenon by means of a very simple and inexpensive device that can be installed in the equipment under test. After modeling the probe, its response will be compared to that of commercial devices using both calibrated discharges and partial discharges occurring at real power.     

基于短时脉冲放电与电化学阻抗谱的退役动力 电池快速分选与重组方法

针对现阶段退役动力电池筛选效率低、能耗大和成组率低等问题,提出了一种基于短时脉冲放电与电化学阻抗谱(EIS)相结合的退役动力电池快速分选与重组方法。通过对200节同类型不同批次的退役磷酸铁锂动力电池进行短时脉冲放电与阻抗谱测试和分析后,将获取的脉冲电压差、直流内阻、EIS曲线形状特征以及EIS等效电路模型参数作为筛选指标并建立数学模型,实现了对退役动力电池快速有效的分选与重组。验证实验结果表明：该方法能有效地降低能耗,且单节电芯的平均测试时间短至20 min以内,同时成组后的模组一致性指标较好,在工程上具有较大的实用价值。     

电磁冲击加载放电回路的影响因素

电磁冲击压制技术被广泛用于粉末压制、板坯成形等领域,回路电流作为冲击压制驱动源部分,是后续加载驱动的关键因素。文中采用ANSYS多物理场并结合理论计算对放电回路影响因素进行系统分析,探讨了线圈匝数、电压、电容对回路电流的影响规律及各参数对成形效率的影响。结果表明充电电压与回路电流峰值、加载速率成正比,加大充电电压是提高成形效率最直接方法;线圈电阻主要影响电流峰值,与电路加载时间成反比,电感主要影响加载电流加载速率,降低电阻、电感有利于提高成形效率。     

质子交换膜燃料电池电化学阻抗谱弛豫时间分布研究

电化学阻抗谱技术能够获取燃料电池不同频率阻抗，但对阻抗的构成缺乏进一步解析，难以直接构建精准的等效电路模型进行阻抗拟合分析，而弛豫时间分布（Distribution of relaxation time，DRT）方法不需要定义特定的等效电路模型，即可解析燃料电池不同时间常数的极化过程。针对实验室用质子交换膜燃料电池，在不同运行条件下对其进行阻抗谱测量，并通过Kramers-Kronig关系验证所记录阻抗数据的质量。基于DRT分析方法，系统地解释阻抗谱中各频段阻抗对应的物理或化学意义。研究表明，该电池的电化学阻抗谱主要由3个不同时间常数频段的极化阻抗构成，通过与运行条件相关性的系统分析，确定低频段阻抗为氧气在多孔介质中的传输阻碍，中频段阻抗为与氧还原反应有关的电荷传递阻碍，中高频段阻抗为阴极催化剂层中的质子传输阻碍。为进一步确定DRT分析结果的合理性，采用等效电路模型拟合测量的阻抗数据，辨识的电阻元件参数变化趋势与DRT分析结果一致。     

Study of unidirectional conductivity on the electrical discharge machining of semiconductor crystals

This paper investigates the unidirectional conductivity of semiconductor crystals machined by electrical discharge machining (EDM) by analyzing the properties of current–voltage (I–V) curves of the equivalent circuit. The simplified equivalent circuit of a semiconductor EDM consists of reverse-biased diodes and linear resistance. The I–V curve has three typical parameters, namely, conduction angle, breakdown angle, and breakdown point. The values of the conduction angle and the breakdown point are determined by the contact area of the reverse-biased diode, and the breakdown angle is determined by the value of linear resistance. Two diodes exist in the model with two metal electric feeders. To increase the current in this model, the diode with larger contact area should be reverse-biased. If the work piece is connected to anode in semiconductor EDM, the diode in the conduction side is reverse-biased and the avalanche voltage is only 42 V. If the work piece is connected to the cathode in semiconductor EDM, then the arc plasma, which is a termination with a small area, becomes reverse-biased. The temperature in the arc plasma side is high, causing the breakdown voltage to be much higher than the theoretical calculation value 88.5 V. As a result, when the work piece is connected to the cathode, spark production is difficult. Holes are bored on the P-type semiconductor crystals by positive and negative polarity, which could prove that machining with positive polarity is suitable for P-type semiconductor crystals during EDM. When the no-load voltage is set to 150 V, the penetration speed by positive polarity can reach 533 μm/min.     

Poloidal beta and internal inductance measurement on HT-7 superconducting tokamak

Poloidal beta beta(theta) and internal inductance l(i) measurements are very important for tokamak operation. Much more plasma parameters can be inferred from the two parameters, such as the plasma energy confinement time, the plasma toroidal current profile, and magnetohydrodynamics instability. Using diamagnetic and compensation loop, combining with poloidal magnetic probe array signals, poloidal beta beta(theta) and internal inductance l(i) are measured. In this article, the measurement system and arithmetic are introduced. Different experimental results are given in different plasma discharges on HT-7 superconducting tokamak.     

Increasing discharge energy of micro-EDM with electrostatic induction feeding method through resonance in circuit

This paper describes the method to increase discharge energy in micro-EDM using electrostatic induction feeding as the pulse generator. In a previous study, controlled pulse train method was introduced to increase discharge energy and enlarge unit removal per discharge by allowing multiple discharges to occur at the same spot. During observation, it was found that the oscillation of discharge current is excited at higher amplitude even if the same capacitance is used. In this paper, the influence of frequency on discharge energy was investigated. It was found that higher discharge energy can be obtained when machining was done at the resonant frequency of the circuit. Influence of capacitance and inductance on resonant frequency was studied. Probability of discharge continuity at different frequencies was examined. The results confirmed that higher discharge continuity within the pre-determined pulse train duration can be achieved when machining is conducted at resonant frequency, leading to higher material removal rate (MRR).     

Characterization and analysis of a pulse power system based on Marx generator and Blumlein

A pulse power system (1 MV, 50 kA, and 100 ns) based on Marx generator and Blumlein pulse forming line has been studied for characterization of a general system. Total erected Marx inductance and series resistance are calculated from modular testing of Marx generator and testing of Marx generator with Blumlein. The complete pulse power system has been tested with the termination of a liquid resistor load for finding the Blumlein characteristic impedance. Equivalent electrical circuits during the charging and discharging of the Blumlein are constructed from the characterized parameters of the system. These equivalent circuits can be used in the analysis of prepulse voltage and droop in the flat top of the main pulse in the pulse power systems based on Marx generator and Blumlein.     

电涡流传感器中变压器型等效电路的适用性研究

为考察电涡流传感器中等效电路的适用性，本文从被测体材料角度出发，在分析等效电路基础上，采用分离变量法和数值计算法，得到不同被测材料下探头线圈阻抗与提离高度的关系，并与从等效电路得出的结论比较，确定等效电路的适用性，同时考察被测体厚度对线圈阻抗的影响，最后对得出的结论进行理论分析。结果表明，等效电路的适用性与被测体的涡流渗透厚度无关；对非磁性材料作用下的检测系统，等效电路适用，对铁磁性材料则不适用；同时在计算线圈阻抗时，应保证被测体厚度大于其涡流渗透厚度的20％。     

Application of a cylindrical diode as a load with vacuum insulation in high-voltage generators

Results of experimental tests of the possibility of using cylindrical diodes in the self-magnetic insulation mode as an equivalent load with a stable impedance of about units of ohms at voltages below 450 kV are given. The diode with a radial size of ～10 cm and an interelectrode gap of ～1.5 cm demonstrated a stable resistance of ～3 Ω within ～200 ns. The analyzed results show that the current of the self-magnetic insulation in the diode is determined by the limiting current.     

Measurement of volume resistivity∕conductivity of metallic alloy in inhibited seawater by optical interferometry techniques

Optical interferometry techniques were used for the first time to measure the volume resistivity∕conductivity of carbon steel samples in seawater with different concentrations of a corrosion inhibitor. In this investigation, the real-time holographic interferometry was carried out to measure the thickness of anodic dissolved layer or the total thickness, U(total), of formed oxide layer of carbon steel samples during the alternating current (ac) impedance of the samples in blank seawater and in 5-20 ppm TROS C-70 inhibited seawater, respectively. In addition, a mathematical model was derived in order to correlate between the ac impedance (resistance) and the surface (orthogonal) displacement of the surface of the samples in solutions. In other words, a proportionality constant [resistivity (ρ) or conductivity (σ) = 1∕ρ] between the determined ac impedance [by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique] and the orthogonal displacement (by the optical interferometry techniques) was obtained. The value of the resistivity of the carbon steel sample in the blank seawater was found similar to the value of the resistivity of the carbon steel sample air, around 1 × 10(-5) Ω cm. On the contrary, the measured values of the resistivity of the carbon steel samples were 1.85 × 10(7), 3.35 × 10(7), and 1.7 × 10(7) Ω cm in 5, 10, and 20 ppm TROS C-70 inhibited seawater solutions, respectively. Furthermore, the determined value range of ρ of the formed oxide layers, from 1.7 × 10(7) to 3.35 × 10(7) Ω cm, is found in a reasonable agreement with the one found in literature for the Fe oxide-hydroxides, i.e., goethite (α-FeOOH) and for the lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH), 1 × 10(9) Ω cm. The ρ value of the Fe oxide-hydroxides, 1 × 10(9) Ω cm, was found slightly higher than the ρ value range of the formed oxide layer of the present study. This is because the former value was determined by a dc method rather than by an electromagnetic method, i.e., holographic interferometry with applications of EIS, i.e., ac method. As a result, erroneous measurements were recorded due to the introduction of heat to Fe oxide-hydroxides.     

雷电冲击试验冲击电压发生器调波电阻的确定

在进行雷电冲击试验时,需对冲击电压发生器的调波电阻(波前电阻Rf、半峰值电阻Rt)进行调节,使冲击波形符合标准IEC60060-1的要求:波前时间tf为1.2μs(±30%),半峰值时间tt为50μs(±20%)。针对快速确定冲击电压发生器调波电阻的问题,对冲击电压发生器放电等值回路进行了数学分析,建立了关于Rf、Rt的非线性方程组,并采用混合遗传算法进行了求解。得到Rf、Rt的数值计算解后,在Matlab环境下对雷电冲击放电回路进行了仿真分析。最终,在高压试验大厅进行了现场试验加以验证。研究结果表明,所采用的调波电阻确定方法能够保证冲击波形符合标准要求,缩短设备调试时间,可为现场试验人员提供理论指导。