CINCO: Progress on a Compact 5-MA Pulser for HEDP

We have been developing the Cinco high energy density physics (HEDP) driver, a compact pulsed power generator comprised of multiple pulse power “bricks”. When fully configured with 50 bricks, Cinco will be capable of attaining ramp pressures of 1 Mbar and flyer plate velocities of 8 km/s. Each individual brick is tested in a test fixture with a matched resistance load. We have currently conducted over 200 shots on the single-brick fixture. Using a slightly higher-than-matched resistor load, we have achieved currents of ∼80kA at our full rated charge voltage of 100 kV. These shots have allowed us to fully validate our single-brick circuit model. As an intermediate step to proving the efficacy of our full configuration design, we have built a 4-brick strip-line. In this configuration, we also utilized a matched resistance load. We will present testing data from the four-brick Cinco device. Our current waveform data was collected with a Rogowski probe. Similar to the tests conducted with the single-brick fixture, data is compared to our circuit models to establish performance and the integrity of the power-flow structures. Validation of this design allows us to proceed to a larger 10-brick, ∼ 1- MA design with an isentropic compression load.