Development/tests of 6-MV triggered gas switches at SNL

Gas switch development for application in Z refurbishment (ZR) has continued since PPPS Conference 2001. Several iterations have been tested both in oil and water dielectrics. The first switch tested was an evolved version of the Sandia designed HERMES III switch [G. J. Denison et al., 1985]. The 6 MV ZR baseline switch consists of a self-breakdown (cascade) section in which the discharge current flows in several parallel channels, and a trigger section where the current flows through a single spark channel. The second switch tested is a cantilevered switch. The entire cascade section is cantilevered on a plastic support rod allowing for a single continuous insulator housing but having the same characteristics as the baseline. The third switch tested is a Sandia hybrid switch. The laser triggered section of the hybrid switch includes 5 cascade like electrodes connected in parallel to a triggered gap via a /spl sim/2 /spl mu/H series isolation inductor. The discharge current in the hybrid switch trigger section flows in several parallel channels eliminating the single channel flow as in the baseline switch trigger section. The design iterations of these switches and results of these tests are presented.