Efficient power supply for the microwave electrothermal thruster (MET)

A resonant switch-mode power supply for the microwave electrothermal thruster (MET) is presented in this paper. The converter is operated with soft-switching at high frequency and exhibits a high efficiency. The soft switching technique used in this converter and the current-source inductor at the input minimize the EMI noise. Electric isolation between input and output is achieved with a center-tap transformer, whose magnetizing inductance is used as the resonant inductance of its resonant tank. The resulting high power density and increased reliability of the converter make it very suitable for aerospace applications. Simulation and experimental results of a 28 V/4.5 kV example are also presented.