Development of the high voltage power switching circuit with GTOs operated by new gate-drive system

A high-voltage high-power switching circuit using six gate turn-off thyristors (GTOs) in series operated by a novel gate-drive system has been developed and successfully demonstrated. The new gate-drive system consists of a trigger pulse generator, high-frequency switching circuit with transistors, a high frequency-transformer (current transformer) with single input and multiple outputs, and a flux compensating circuit for offsetting of magnetic fluxes in the high-frequency transformer. This gate-drive system is less disturbed by electrical noises and operates in large current signal mode. The high-voltage stage in this new gate-drive system can be set with GTOs in an air-tight tank filled with insulating oil. The high-voltage switching circuit with six GTOs in series operated by this system has been rated at a voltage of 30 kV and a high switching rate of 500 pulses per second.<
>