Semiconductor elements in the power supply circuit of electric gun systems

A laboratory test device for components of an electrothermal gun is described. The results of experiments show that in single-pulse operation, conventional semiconductor switching devices may be used to higher levels of their electrical parameters than such devices are candidates for future switching systems of electric guns. Since the allowable current rise time of thyristors strongly depends on the geometrical layout of the gate electrodes, significant increase in the maximum dI/dt values can be reached by the use of GTO thyristors. Experiments using such a thyristor are inprogress