An update on NIF pulsed power

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a 192-beam laser fusion driver operating at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. NIF relies on three large-scale pulsed power systems to achieve its goals: the Power Conditioning Unit (PCU), which provides flashlamp excitation for the laser´s injection system; the Power Conditioning System (PCS), which provides the multi-megajoule pulsed excitation required to drive flashlamps in the laser´s optical amplifiers; and the Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell (PEPC), which enables NIF to take advantage of a four-pass main amplifier. Years of production, installation, and commissioning of the three NIF pulsed power systems are now complete. Seven-day-per-week operation of the laser has commenced, with the three pulsed power systems providing routine support of laser operations. We present the details of the status and operational experience associated with the three systems along with a projection of the future for NIF pulsed power.