Non-destructive examination of impulse generator pulses

There is growing need for single-shot impulse voltages above 50 kV for researching the transient high field breakdown strength of new dielectric materials and insulator/conductor laminates. A Marx Bank is developed which can reproduce the circuit characteristics of such impulse transients. To produce a single-shot impulse waveform with 600 kV peak, having 15 kJ of energy, the Marx Bank used had six 100 kV, 0.5 μF capacitors arranged in six stages, charged in parallel, and discharged in series. A new non-destructive examination technique for different modes of Marx bank operation is developed which determines if output load faults or switch misfires are safely tolerated by the resistors used in the charge/discharge circuits.