Commercial high current ignitron development

Our overall goal is to develop and qualify devices capable of repetitively switching high peak currents (>1 MA) and large quantities of charge (>500 C). In 1988 we designed and tested a hollow-anode ignitron at levels of up 925 kA and 280 C per shot[1]. This level is three times that previously achieved with standard, commercially available tubes[2]. Our latest designs, developed with the cooperation of industry, incorporate a hollow anode into an industrial ignitron. Prototypes have recently achieved levels of 770 kA and 270 C per shot.