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Registered Member #2893
Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242
I as thinking that MOV's or avalanche diodes would make good "spark gaps" for a marx generator. The marx circuit could work at much lower voltages too since it doesn't require an air gap. A 250V/stage marx could even be made.
Seems like a good ay to easily step up some dc voltage. Avalanche diodes may be the best option though.
Registered Member #2099
Joined: Wed Apr 29 2009, 12:22AM
Location: Los Altos, California
Posts: 1716
Problem with MOVs and avalanche diodes is that they don't switch to an ON state with very small voltage drop. For low voltage spark gaps I think you could do well with gas tube surge arresters, which come in breakdown voltages as low as 90 V. If you made a Marx stack out of them, how would you measure the erected voltage? I could send you some GTSA's (about 150V IIRC) if you want to try it.
Registered Member #2901
Joined: Thu Jun 03 2010, 01:25PM
Location:
Posts: 837
MOVs/Avalanche diodes are clamps. A sparkgap is a crowbar. There are solid state crowbar devices, they are usually self triggered thyristors ... but thyristors are rather slow. In fact everything semiconductor is either slow or low current or both compared to spark gaps.
Avalanche transistors are the only commonly available silicon devices which can get both decent speed (ns) and high current at a reasonable cost ... but they are finnicky. Another alternative are magnetic switches, someone in a recent thread had done this, although you need quite a hefty chunk of ferrite for high power.
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MOV spark gaps
