This paper discusses the results from tests done on a specially designed, demountable ignitron with four side ports for visual access to the discharge volume. This tube was manufactured by National Electronics/Division of Richardson Electronics. The goal of this ongoing research is to improve total ignitron performance for high peak power applications in the pulsed power industry. To study the effects of anode geometry on ignitron performance, three different anodes of similar size were designed: [1] a normal rounded cylinder anode made of graphite, [2] an inverse-cup style anode made of stainless steel, and [3] an inverse-cup-with-angled-slits anode made of stainless steel. Testing was done with the demountable ignitron used as a crowbar switch in a system composed of a 2.56 mF capacitor bank and a test stand which had an inductance of approximately 1 /spl mu/H. The peak load current utilized was 195 kA (out of a possible 350 kA) and the charge transfer to the load at this current level was 80 C when in the crowbar mode. The series switch in the system was an NL-5555 ignitron. Voltage and current measurements were taken on the crowbar ignitron with high voltage probes and a Rogowski coil, respectively. The optical diagnostics were performed with a mechanical Dynafax rotating camera.
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