Sandia Corporation

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Gerald J Rohwein

James P O'Loughlin

Lars D Roose

Diana L Loree

Jane Lehr

Martin W O'Malley

Robert N Lawson

A slotted coaxial shield for high voltage cylindrical air core transformers is described that controls the electric field stress while permitting the rapid extraction of electric energy stored in the shield to improve the output efficiency.

Air core transformer with coaxial grading shield

The Corona Inception Voltage of insulating oils is increased by repetitive cycles of prestressing the oil with a voltage greater than the corona inception voltage, and either simultaneously or serially removing byproducts of corona by evacuation and heating the oil.

System for increasing corona inception voltage of insulating oils

Novel spark gap devices and electrodes are disclosed. The novel spark gap devices and electrodes are suitable for use in a variety of spark gap device applications. The shape of the electrodes gives rise to local field enhancements and reduces breakdown voltage jitter. Breakdown voltage jitter of approximately 5% has been measured in spark gaps according the invention. Novel electrode geometries and materials are disclosed.

Spark gap with low breakdown voltage jitter

A high voltage spark gap switch including a housing having first and second end walls being spaced apart by a predetermined distance. A first electrode is positioned on the first end wall and a second electrode is positioned on the second end wall. The first and second electrodes are operatively disposed relative to each other and are spaced apart by a predetermined gap. An inlet conduit is provided for supplying gas to the first electrode. The conduit includes a nozzle for dispersing the gas in the shape of an annular jet. The gas is supplied into the housing at a predetermined velocity. A venturi housing is disposed within the second electrode. An exhaust conduit is provided for discharging gas and residue from the housing. The gas supplied at the predetermined velocity to the housing through the inlet conduit and the nozzle in an annular shape traverses the gap between the first and second electrodes and entrains low velocity gas within the housing decreasing the velocity of the gas supplied to the housing and increasing the diameter of the annular shape. The venturi disposed within the second electrode recirculates a large volume of gas to clean and cool the surface of the electrodes.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Gerald J Rohwein