Two 3.3 Megawatt 3 phase 4160 V solid state circuit breakers, which can interrupt full current within 300 microseconds, have been installed on the 6.6 Megawatt power supply at the Army Pulse Power Center at Fort Monmouth. These devices, utilizing Gate Turnoff Thyristors (GTOs), can interrupt two orders of magnitude faster than standard mechanical contact type circuit breakers. The system also includes a personal computer based power supply control and data acquisition system, with over seventy data channels and the capability to operate unattended. This system will make possible pivotal evaluation of megawatt class pulse power components under the most severe conditions, since it will be possible to run said experimental components at their limits and still protect them from fault damage and destruction, while measuring operating parameters even at the point of the fault.

The CX 1776 thyratron, manufactured by EEV, is currently being evaluated as a burst mode megawatt average power switch. Objective of the program is to establish the possibility of a single device operating at greater than one-megawatt of average power. The CX 1776 is a multi-gap, liquid cooled, deuterium thyratron containing three high voltage gaps to obtain an 80 kilovolt hold-off capability. The dispenser cathode is rated for average currents up to 50 amperes and 120 A in a burst mode. Evaluation of the device is being conducted using a classical RLC circuit. Initially the tube was operated up to one megawatt average power bursts at 45-60 kilovolts. Energies per pulse of up to 1500 joules were repetitively switched using the Pulse Power Center's one megawatt facility, Burst time of 30 seconds were used. Results of the high power evaluation will be presented.

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