Numerical Study on Key Factors Affecting Synchronization of Multiple Spark-Gap Switches in Single-Stage LTD

Gas switch jitter in fast linear transformer driver (LTD) has a great influence on output current waveform. Aiming at explaining the phenomenon that the breakdown jitter increases when gas switches are synchronously triggered in a single-stage LTD cavity, key factors that affect gas switch breakdown jitter were analyzed in this article. Based on Monte Carlo analysis, a novel LTD circuit model with switch breakdown delay and jitter function was developed, and its accuracy was verified by experimental results. Key factors that result in breakdown jitter increasing were analyzed by changing the gas switch self-jitter, breakdown sequence, and loop inductance. It is found that the gas switch breakdown process can influence each other when triggered in a single-stage LTD cavity. The simulation results showed that the gas switch self-jitter and load inductance have a great influence on the branches-jitter, where the branches-jitter decreased from 12.01 to 5.81 ns when the load inductance decreased from 5 to 4 nH. The simulation results gave an in-depth understanding of the branches-jitter increasing in a single-stage LTD cavity.