Hughes Aircraft Company

Hayden E Gallagher

Robin J Harvey

Wolfgang Knauer

Robert W Schumacher

Wilfried O Eckhardt

Roland G Fleig

An orientation independent ignitron (OII) has an anode, a cathode with a plurality of spaced grooves facing the anode, and a cooling mechanism which causes liquid metal vapor to condense as a film which is retained on the grooved cathode surface by surface tension and forms reservoirs within the grooves. The cathode and anode are preferably cylindrical and coaxial, with the inner surface of the cathode having parallel annular grooves facing the outer anode surface. Igniters are preferably introduced into convex areas between adjacent grooves along radial lines, with individual igniters providing ignition for a pair of adjacent grooves. The igniters can be operated simultaneously or in sequence, depending upon the desired repetition rate and current capacity. A liquid metal film is initially formed by placing the OII on its side, introducing liquid metal into the lower ends of the grooves, and causing arcing between the anode and liquid metal to flow the liquid metal and wet the adjacent groove surface. Some of the liquid metal also evaporates and re-condenses on other portions of the cathode, establishing a continuous film.

Orientation independent ignitron with grooved cathode

An electron beam controlled switch employing a radial geometry and a Wire-Ion Plasma-Electron gun (WIP E-gun) as an electron source is disclosed. The switch comprises an inner cylinder that serves as the WIP E-gun cathode, a cylindrical grid that serves as the WIP E-gun anode, an array of fine wire anodes disposed in the WIP E-gun ionization chamber, a foil support cylinder to support the foil windows which also serve as the switch anode, and an outer cylinder which also serves as the switch cathode. The WIP E-gun and ionization chamber is gas filled at low pressure, while the switch cavity is filled with a high pressure gas. A voltage pulse is applied to the wire anodes to ionize the gas in the ionization chamber. The ions are extracted through the chamber grid and accelerated through a high voltage to bombard the E-gun cathode. The electrons emitted from the ion bombardment are accelerated outwardly through the high voltage, penetrate through the foil windows and into the pressurized gas in the switch cavity. The high energy electrons ionize the gas between the switch anode and cathode, thereby turning 'ON' the switch. In the absence of the electron beam, the switch gas deionizes and switch conduction is quickly extinguished.

Radial geometry electron beam controlled switch utilizing

An improved Wire-Ion-Plasma Electron-gun (WIP E-gun) is disclosed, having a very rapid electron beam current interruption capability. An auxiliary grid is employed to provide a potential barrier to the reservoir of plasma ions in the ionization chamber, thereby containing these ions in the chamber after the wire anode is turned 'OFF'. The E-gun current fall time is reduced to the time required for the plasma potential to fall in the ionization chamber after the wire anode is turned 'OFF'. The WIP E-gun current fall time is reduced, from greater than fifteen microseconds for devices not employing the invention, to less than two microseconds.

Wire-ion-plasma electron gun employing auxiliary grid

Cross-field switch tube has three electrodes to define two concentric annular inter-electrode spaces. A magnet produces a field in both spaces, which field extends out of the switch tube through the electrodes. Circuit connects electrodes so that, with one circuit polarity, the electrode on the outside of one gap is a cathode while, with the other polarity, the electrode on the outside of the other gap is cathode for offswitching a load at any point of the AC cycle.

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Malibu, CA, United States of America

Hayden E Gallagher