A novel energy storage device

Summary form only given, as follows. The device described in this paper uses a single inductor to store energy with a series of opening switches placed in the circuit between approximately equal inductances. The each "opening switch" is a toroid of ferrite material going around a single turn of the energy storage solenoid. Each small toroid of ferrite material is wrapped with several turns of wire. As the energy storage inductor is charged the ferrite material is driven into saturation. When a trigger pulse is sent through the wire around the ferrite material, the ferrite is driven out of saturation; thereby causing that section of a single turn to have a high impedance compared to the load. Conducting leads are attached on either side of each opening switch and attached to the load at the other end. Each lead has a blocking device such as a spark gap or diode to keep current from flowing in the load circuit until the device is triggered. When the switches are all opened simultaneously, the current in the storage inductor is transferred to the load with a voltage characteristic of the load and/or the opening time of the switches. The leads can be connected in parallel so N times the current in the energy storage coil is delivered to the load. They can also be connected in series so the current in the storage coil is delivered to the load but with a voltage N times the voltage generated by each individual opening switch. The leads can also be connected in any combination of series and parallel combinations to provide an electrical energy pulse appropriate to the load. This technique can store energy at greater than 10 megajoules/m3 and possibly as high as 100 megajoules/m3.