A RE-Configurable Bipolar and Monopolar Transmission-Line Based Pulse Generator

Summary form only given. Transmission-line based generators are used in a wide range of pulsed power applications where short duration, high voltage pulses are required. These generators can be designed to produce pulses with a risetime in the range of nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds, and magnitudes of up to several hundred kilovolts. One of the more recent uses of HV pulse generation has been in the field of pulsed electric field (PEF) inactivation of microorganisms. Here, electric fields of the order of 30 kV/cm are applied across liquids for a few microseconds in order to achieve microbial inactivation. It has been reported that there are significant performance differences between applying PEF with monopolar and bipolar pulse profiles. The monopolar pulse has single polaritv, either positive or negative, whilst the bipolar pulse is a dual polarity pulse, where the polarity changes half way through the pulse duration. In order to investigate the reported pulse profile effects, a re-configurable pulse generator was designed and developed that produces both monopolar and bipolar pulse. Details of the pulse generator design and operating performance will be discussed along with some information regarding it suitability for PEF inactivation applications.