High-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch

摘要

A high-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch uses a field-effect transistor (e.g., a MOSFET) to trigger a high-voltage stack of thyristors. The switch can have a high hold-off voltage, high current carrying capacity, and high time-rate-of-change of current, di/dt. The fast closing switch can be used in pulsed power applications.

主权项

1. A high-voltage, high-current solid-state closing switch, comprising:
a stack comprising two or more thyristors arranged in a series and/or parallel arrangement, the stack having an anode terminal and a cathode terminal; a blocking diode having an anode terminal and a cathode terminal, wherein the anode terminal of the blocking diode is electrically connected to the cathode terminal of the stack; a trigger capacitor having a first terminal connected to the cathode terminal of the stack and the anode terminal of the blocking diode; a field-effect transistor having a drain electrically connected to the second terminal of the trigger capacitor and a source electrically connected to the cathode terminal of the blocking diode; a means for charging the trigger capacitor to below the maximum reverse hold-off voltage of the blocking diode; and a means for applying a voltage between the anode terminal of the stack and the cathode terminal of the blocking diode, such that the voltage applied to the stack is less than the self-break voltage of the stack; wherein the stack is switched on when a trigger is applied to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor.