Plasma opening switch
US6304042A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 16, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J17/14
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A command triggered plasma opening switch assembly using an amplification stage. The assembly surrounds a coaxial transmission line and has a main plasma opening switch (POS) close to the load and a trigger POS upstream from the main POS. The trigger POS establishes two different current pathways through the assembly depended on whether it has received a trigger current pulse. The initial pathway has both POS's with plasma between their anodes and cathodes to form a short across the transmission line and isolating the load. The final current pathway is formed when the trigger POS receives a trigger current pulse which energizes its fast coil to push the conductive plasma out from between its anode and cathode, allowing the main transmission line current to pass to the fast coil of the main POS, thus pushing its plasma out the way so as to establish a direct current pathway to the load.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.