Genetic optimization for pulsed power system configuration

Pulsed power systems traditionally have been designed to provide a pulse that is nonprogrammable or requires hardware modifications to adjust the output shape. Advancements in pulsed power technologies are enabling system designs that allow for greater flexibility such as programmable current shaping. Material science, which uses current pulse shaping to obtain data for Equation of State (EOS) analysis, is driving much of this work. Programming of pulsed power systems through the use of a simulation and a manual curve fitting approach can work well for systems that only have a few controllable parameters and simple spectral content. Complex systems with many controllable parameters become unmanageable from a manual trial-and-error perspective. This paper discusses an approach to the optimization of a current adder output using genetic algorithms. The approach to system programmability presented herein will allow for a more simplified user interface and system control as the requirements for flexibility and complexity in future systems increase.