Time Delay of a Triggered Vacuum Switch

A triggered vacuum switch (TVS) is one of the important switch apparatuses in the field of pulsed power system, due to its quick switching, rapid dielectric recovery, small volume, convenient trigger system, and simple structure. A sample of TVS was fabricated and its turning-on experiments were done. Initial plasmas play an important role in the turning-on process of TVS. The delays of TVS were measured, including wait time t
₁
and collapse time t
₂
, which relate to the generation and development of initial plasmas. From thermodynamics equations, a model of cathode spot heat conduction was proposed. A formula deduced from the heat conduction model could be used to calculate the delay time of TVS. The calculated results of t
₁
and t
₂
were in accordance with the tested results.