SBIR-STTR Award

To date, high current mechanical opening switches for inductive store applications have been limited to long (100-1000 microsec) opening times because of speed or pressure limitations. By using an insulatting fluid in the opening gap, opening current and voltage holdoff performance can be increased to the megampere/tens of kilovolts level. Opening times in the 10 microsec range require pressure rise rates in the 10 to the 9th power atm/sec range, which is accomplished in the proposed effort by a gigawatt-level electrothermal discharge in a small volume. The discharge provides for the 10 to the 4th power atm pressure requirement to move the switch contacts, and also provides for flow of insulating fluid into the gap to quench the arc. Since the electrothermal discharge has demonstrated repetitive operation, switch operation at 10 pps or so is possible. The proposed phase i work calls for modeling of the switch and calculations of its performance, prior to a phase ii experimental development effort.