PULSE GENERATOR FOR AN HPEM PULSE

Abstract

A pulse generator for generating an HPEM pulse includes a Marx generator having a plurality of capacitors that are connected in series between two output poles, providing a Marx voltage between the output poles during operation of the Marx generator. A DS resonator has two input poles and each of the input poles is connected to a respective one of the output poles by a respective supply line. The capacitors are physically disposed along a profile line having two ends at each of which a respective one of the output poles is located. A distance between the output poles is smaller than a longitudinal extent of the Marx generator along the profile line.

Claims

1. A pulse generator for generating an HPEM pulse, the pulse generator comprising: a Marx generator having a plurality of capacitors connected in series between two output poles, providing a Marx voltage between said output poles during operation of said Marx generator; a DS resonator having two input poles; supply lines connecting each of said input poles to a respective one of said output poles; said capacitors being spatially disposed along a profile line having two ends, each of said output poles being located at a respective one of said ends of said profile line; and said output poles being spaced apart by a distance being smaller than a longitudinal extent of said Marx generator along said profile line.

2. The pulse generator according to claim 1, wherein said profile line lies in a plane.

3. The pulse generator according to claim 1, wherein said profile line follows a ring shape.

4. The pulse generator according to claim 1, wherein said profile line follows an at least single-S shape.

5. The pulse generator according to claim 3, wherein said profile line is a zigzag line running along said ring shape.

6. The pulse generator according to claim 4, wherein said profile line is a zigzag line running along said S shape.

7. The pulse generator according to claim 1, wherein said profile line runs at least in part around said DS resonator.

8. The pulse generator according to claim 1, wherein said profile line runs alongside said DS resonator, and said profile line adjoins said DS resonator by way of said ends of said profile line.

9. The pulse generator according to claim 1, wherein said DS resonator has a shape extending along a longitudinal axis, said capacitors have positive contacts and negative contacts, and said capacitors extend parallel to said longitudinal axis between said positive contacts and said negative contacts of each respective capacitor.

10. The pulse generator according to claim 1, which further comprises: a pulse generator housing; at least said output poles of said Marx generator are accommodated within said pulse generator housing; at least said input poles of said DS resonator are accommodated within said pulse generator housing; and all of said supply lines are accommodated within said pulse generator housing.

11. The pulse generator according to claim 10, wherein said Marx generator is accommodated fully within said pulse generator housing, but only a section of said DS resonator including said inputs is accommodated within said pulse generator housing.

12. The pulse generator according to claim 10, wherein said pulse generator housing is an electrically conductive housing.

13. The pulse generator according to claim 10, wherein said pulse generator housing is filled with an insulation gas.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0049] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic illustration of a pulse generator having a Marx generator according to the prior art;

[0050] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a generator according to the invention having a capacitor bank disposed in a ring shape around a DS resonator;

[0051] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pulse generator from FIG. 2;

[0052] FIG. 4 is a plan view according to FIG. 3 of an alternative pulse generator having a capacitor bank disposed in a multiple S shape;

[0053] FIG. 5 is a plan view according to FIG. 3 of an alternative pulse generator having a capacitor bank disposed in a zigzag;

[0054] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a profile of Marx voltages and resonator charging voltages over time; and

[0055] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing field amplitudes that can be achieved by using the HPEM pulse over the Marx voltage for various pulse generators or charging circuits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a pulse generator 2 for generating an HPEM pulse 4 or a voltage pulse/energy pulse required therefor, which is indicated therein symbolically as an arrow. The pulse generator 2 is supplied with a charging voltage 12 at an input 10 (not explained in any more detail) of a Marx generator 6 and of the pulse generator 2. The HPEM pulse 4 is generated at an output 5 and fed to an antenna arrangement (not illustrated herein) in order to be emitted thereby in a targeted manner. The emission is used, for example, to combat drones (not illustrated) by using HPEM.

[0057] The pulse generator 2 contains the Marx generator 6 and a DS resonator 8. The Marx generator 6 has the input 10 in a manner conventional in the art and is supplied thereby. The Marx generator 6 contains a capacitor bank 14 having a plurality of capacitors 16, of which only five are illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1. The capacitors 16 are connected in series in a manner conventional in the art and to this end are connected between two charging lines 18a, 18b that are supplied with the charging voltage 12. In a manner conventional in the art, the Marx generator 6 contains charging resistors 20 in the charging lines 18a and spark gaps 22—both between the individual capacitor 16 and on the output side—that are not intended to be explained any further herein.

[0058] The capacitors 16 are disposed along a profile line 24 in spatial or concrete terms. The profile line 24 has two ends 26a, 26b. Two output poles 28a, 28b of the Marx generator 6 are disposed at these ends 26a, 26b of the profile line 24. The arrangement “at the end” in this case means that the output poles are located in a respective transverse plane 29 (perpendicular to the plane of the paper) to the profile line 24 at the location of the respective end 26a, 26b.

[0059] In this spatial or concrete respect, the Marx generator 6 in FIG. 1 is configured according to the prior art: The profile line 24 is a straight line in this case. Such a spatial arrangement of the capacitors 16 is conventional in the prior art.

[0060] During operation of the Marx generator 6 (after the capacitor bank 14 has been charged and during or after breakdown of the spark gaps 22), an output voltage of the Marx generator 6, namely the Marx voltage UM, is provided between the output poles 28a, 28b.

[0061] The DS resonator 8 has two input poles 30a, 30b that are supplied with the Marx voltage UM during operation. Therefore, the input poles 30a, 30b are connected to the output poles 28a, 28b by a respective supply line 32a, 32b. During operation, the DS resonator 8 generates the HPEM pulse 4 at the output 5 thereof—which also illustrates the output 5 of the pulse generator 2—based on the supply by the Marx voltage UM. According to the known spatial linear arrangement of the capacitors 16 or since the profile line 24 is a straight line, a distance A between the output poles 28a, 28b in this case corresponds to the length of the profile line 24 that corresponds to the longitudinal extent L of the Marx generator 6 along the profile line 24.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a pulse generator 2 according to the invention.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the pulse generator 2 from FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrow III.

[0064] The electrical configuration and circuitry of the pulse generator 2 from FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponds to that from FIG. 1. According to the invention, however, the profile line 24 is not a straight line but follows a ring shape 40, which in this case is a circular shape (dotted continuation or extension of the dashed profile line). The term “follow the ring shape 40” is to be understood in this case as meaning that the profile line 24 does not form a complete closed ring, in this case a circle, but instead forms only a ring/circular segment, in such a way that a distance A remains between the ends 26a, 26b or transverse planes 29 of the profile line 24 and thus between the output poles 28a, 28b of the Marx generator 6.

[0065] Due to the ring-shaped arrangement of the capacitor bank 14, the ends 26a, 26b and thus the output poles 28a, 28b move closer together than in the case of a straight arrangement according to FIG. 1. The distance A between the output poles 28a, 28b is now therefore smaller than the longitudinal extent L of the Marx generator 6 along the profile line 24, that is to say the length (in this case again symbolized by a double arrow) of the profile line 24 along the ring shape 40 or circular shape.

[0066] The profile line 24 in this case lies in a plane 42 that corresponds to the plane of the paper in FIG. 3. In this case, the profile line 24 also runs around the DS resonator 8 (up to the “gap” that corresponds to the distance A).

[0067] The DS resonator 8 extends in terms of its spatial shape along a longitudinal axis 50. The respective capacitors 16, which in this case are all of the same shape, likewise extend in terms of their spatial shape between their respective positive contacts 52a and negative contacts 52b in parallel with the longitudinal axis 50. The ring shape 40 runs concentrically to the longitudinal axis 50; the plane 42 is a transverse plane of the longitudinal axis 50. The capacitor bank 14 is thus disposed concentrically with respect to the DS resonator 8.

[0068] The pulse generator 2 has a housing 54. The housing, in this case, contains a housing base 56, which is circular in this case, and a cover 58, which is cylindrical, in this case. Overall, the housing 54 encloses an interior 60, which in this case is filled with an insulation gas 62. In this case, the housing 54 is made from a metallic, electrically conductive material.

[0069] In the present case, the entire Marx generator 6 and therefore also the output poles 28a, 28b thereof are disposed inside the housing 54, that is to say in the interior 60 and thus in the insulation gas 62. The DS resonator 8 is disposed in the interior 60 at least to such an extent that the input poles 30a, 30b thereof are in the insulation gas 62, namely by way of a section 64 of the resonator that has the input poles 30a, 30b. The supply lines 32a, 32b run fully in the interior 60 and thus in the insulation gas 62. All of the components of the pulse generator 2 that thus carry the Marx voltage UM during operation are inside the insulation gas 62 and also inside the housing 54. An ionization of air and an undesired flashover between these components is therefore suppressed by the insulation gas 62 or the risk thereof is minimized.

[0070] The metallic housing 54 also serves to protect people who handle the pulse generator 2 and to provide an electromagnetic shield between the interior 60 and the exterior that surrounds the housing 54.

[0071] FIG. 4 shows a plan view according to FIG. 3 of an alternative pulse generator 2 or Marx generator 6 according to the invention. In contrast to the above, in this case the profile line 24 does not have a ring or circle shape but instead a “multiple,” in this case double, S shape 44, which means that another bend 48—again curved in the opposite direction—adjoins a single S shape 46. In this case, too, the distance A between the ends 26a, 26b is again smaller than the longitudinal extent L of the Marx generator 6 along the profile line 24 (likewise between the ends 26a, 26b thereof).

[0072] FIG. 5 shows a plan view according to FIG. 3 of another alternative pulse generator 2 or Marx generator 6 according to the invention. Some of the capacitors 16 of the capacitor bank 14 are not illustrated for the sake of clarity. In contrast to the above, in this case, although there is again a ring or circle shape indicated by using dashes, the profile line 24 is in this case a zigzag line 66 that follows the ring or circle shape, that is to say is bent towards the circle shape proceeding from a zigzag line (not illustrated) that runs in a straight line. In this case, too, the distance A between the ends 26a, 26b is again smaller than the longitudinal extent L of the Marx generator 6 along the profile line 24 (likewise between the ends 26a, 26b thereof).

[0073] In FIGS. 4 and 5, the profile line 24 runs in each case alongside the DS resonator; however, it adjoins the DS resonator 8 by way of the respective ends 26a, 26b thereof.

[0074] FIG. 6 qualitatively illustrates the input voltage URES that can generally be achieved in a DS resonator 8 or at the input poles 30a, 30b thereof and that is higher or lower depending on the level of the fundamental Marx voltage UM1, UM2 (Marx generators 6 with different powers). This is because, strictly speaking, the voltages between the input poles 30a, 30b and the output poles 28a, 28b differ due to the transient processes even when a single “Marx voltage” is generally discussed herein for the sake of simplicity.

[0075] The profile of two different Marx voltages UM1 and UM2 and the thus achievable input voltages at the DS resonator 8 over time t is shown.

[0076] The basis for this is the excessive increase beyond the quasistatically achievable input voltage UDC (breakdown of the spark gaps with a quasistatic voltage increase). In this case, use is made of the effect that the breakdown of the spark gaps 22 requires a certain amount of time in which the Marx voltage UM can increase further. The excessive increase mentioned is also known as a semi-empirical “voltage-time integrals law” by Kind from 1957.

[0077] The invention is now based on the knowledge that reducing the inductances of the supply lines 32a, 32b, even at a constant Marx voltage (for example UM2), can be used to achieve a high input voltage at the resonator URES3 compared to URES2, since the Marx voltage UM2* increases more rapidly but the spark gaps 22 still require a certain amount of time for breakdown.

[0078] FIG. 7 qualitatively illustrates this correlation again: The field amplitudes F of HPEM pulses 4 (after emission by an antenna) are shown. Each curve corresponds to another pulse generator 2, with these differing only by way of the inductances of their supply lines 32a, 32b. The inductances decrease in the direction of the arrow 70. The curves are plotted over the Marx voltage UM that is available. The curve 72a in this case corresponds to a Marx generator known from practice according to FIG. 1 with a profile line 24 in the form of a straight line, which is known as a CLC circuit (C: capacitor bank 14/L: supply lines 32a, 32b/C: DS resonator 6). The curve 72b corresponds to a pulse generator 2 with ideal supply lines 32a, 32b that have inductances of zero. This produces a C-C charging circuit that, however, does not have a resonance pump property between the two capacitances, such that only half the voltage is able to be generated with a particular charge of both capacitors (Marx generator 6 and DS resonator 8). The curve 72c corresponds to the invention; by decreasing the inductances of the supply lines 32a, 32b, a field amplitude that is higher in accordance with the invention can thus be achieved from a particular minimum Marx voltage, minimum voltage UMIN, although the Marx generator 6 does not have to be configured to have a higher achievable Marx voltage UM.

[0079] At moderate Marx voltages UM (less than UMIN), the C-L-C charging circuit is thus effective; the C-C charging circuit is not effective up to a factor of two. At higher resonator overvoltages (UM greater than UMIN), there is a greater efficiency of the pulse generator 2 according to the invention with a non-straight profile line 24, in particular a ring shape 40/S shape 44/zigzag line 66 compared to the Marx generator known from practice with a profile line 24 in the form of a straight line.

[0080] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0081] 2 Pulse generator [0082] 4 HPEM pulse [0083] 5 Output (HPEM pulse) [0084] 6 Marx generator [0085] 8 DS resonator [0086] 10 Input [0087] 12 Charging voltage [0088] 14 Capacitor bank [0089] 16 Capacitor [0090] 18a,b Charging line [0091] 20 Charging resistor [0092] 22 Spark gap [0093] 24 Profile line [0094] 26a,b End [0095] 28a,b Output poles [0097] 29 Transverse plane [0098] 30a,b Input pole [0099] 32a,b Supply line [0100] 40 Ring shape [0101] 42 Plane [0102] 44 S shape (multiple) [0103] 46 S shape (single) [0104] 48 Bend [0105] 50 Longitudinal axis (DS resonator) [0106] 52a,b Positive/negative contact [0107] 54 Housing [0108] 56 Housing base [0109] 58 Cover [0110] 60 Interior space [0111] 62 Insulation gas [0112] 66 Zigzag line [0113] 64 Section (DS resonator) [0114] 70 Arrow [0115] 72a-c Curve [0116] UM,UM1,2 Marx voltage [0117] A Distance (output poles) [0118] L Longitudinal extent (Marx generator) [0119] URES1,2 Input voltage (DS resonator) [0120] UDC Input voltage (quasistatic case) [0121] UMIN Minimum voltage [0122] t Time [0123] F Field amplitude [0124] U Voltage