A Novel Repetitive Stacked Blumlein Pulse Power Source

In this report we review the characteristics of the Blumlein pulse power sources developed at the University of Texas at Dallas. These devices consist of several triaxial Blumleins stacked in series at one end. The lines are charged in parallel and synchronously commuted with a single thyratron at the other end. In this way relatively low charging voltages are multiplied to give the desired discharge voltage without the need for complex Marx bank circuitry. Progress in the scaling of these Blumlein pulse generators to obtain open circuit voltages in excess of 0.5 MV is described. Application of these devices to produce high power x-ray pulses is discussed.