Development and test of a 500-kV compact Marx generator operating at 100-Hz PRF

This article presents the electrical and mechanical design of a compact 13-stage 0.5-MV Marx generator operating at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 100 Hz. The fast-switching process of the generator is based on spark gaps, operated under pressurized air and leading to the generation of an output pulsed voltage with a peak of 0.5 MV and a rise time of 15 ns when operated on a 300- $\Omega $ load. Corona-stabilized electrodes are installed near the main gap of the switches to improve their operational stability and increase the PRF. To ensure compactness, the Marx generator is housed in a cylindrical metal vessel with a height of 92 cm and an outer diameter of 34 cm, having a total volume of 74 L. A highly accurate simulation using both PSpice and CST software packages was used to predict the impulse waveform at the output of the generator and to help in optimizing the generator design. The tests show a good agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical predictions.