Critical component requirements for compact pulse power system architectures

The fundamental limits on the volume and energy density of a pulse power that is to deliver a specific peak power pulse to a load depends upon the architecture of the system, the operational mode of the system, the energy storage geometries, the switching parameters employed, and the auxiliary equipment required. This paper examines these factors and develops the fundamental limits on the volume of a pulse power system for a given output pulse energy and pulse length. The fundamental limits on power density lead to the selection of an optimum architecture, which leads to critical specifications for the components involved. This paper develops and presents those specifications for the major components in a pulse power system with maximum power density. Two prototype systems, a short pulse (50 ns) system and a long pulse (1 /spl mu/s) system, are designed as examples of the optimum pulse power architecture and the resulting component requirements.