Marx Generators and Marx‐Like Circuits

The simplest and most widely used high‐voltage impulse generator is the device Erwin Marx introduced in 1925 for testing high‐voltage components and equipment for the emerging power industry. This chapter discusses the principles of operation and overall performance of Marx generators. For instruction, the design formulas for simple Marx generators based on their equivalent circuits are given in considerable detail. A fully erected Marx generator is essentially a capacitive discharge. Thus, the load voltage depends not only on the characteristics of the Marx but also on the characteristics of the load. The chapter highlights some aspects in the discussion of modified Marx configurations. It reviews the importance of overvoltages to Marx operation, as well as advanced triggering techniques. The chapter also discusses various aspects of Marx generators such as electrical insulation, delay time and jitter, and the selection of components.