General Electric Company

William Nicholas Guy Hitchon

Joseph Darryl Michael

Timothy John Sommerer

David John Smith

Steven Charles Aceto

James E Lawler

Jason Fredrick Trotter

Kirk Ernest Marquard

A gas switch includes an anode and a cathode spaced apart from the anode, wherein the cathode includes a conduction surface. The gas switch also includes a plurality of magnets arranged to generate a magnetic field that defines an annular path over a portion of the conduction surface at a radial distance from a switch axis, and a control grid positioned between the anode and the cathode. In operation, the control grid is arranged to establish a conducting plasma between the anode and the cathode, wherein, in the presence of the conducting plasma, a voltage drop between the anode and the cathode is less than 150 volts, and wherein the conducting plasma forms a cathode spot that circles the annular path.

Low voltage drop, cross-field, gas switch and method of operation

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Verona, WI, United States of America

William Nicholas Guy Hitchon