A New, Rugged, High Power Cockcroft-Walton Power Supply

A ten foot (3 m), ten-stage air-insulated Cockcroft-Walton power supply designed and built at LBL has been tested to 900 kV at the SuperHILAC. Operating at 80 kHz, the power supply features low ripple, moderate stored energy, 10 ma average current, and no bouncer requirement for pulsed loads. Other system features include: inexpensive generating voltmeters and a capacitive pick off for monitoring and regulation in lieu of costly resistance dividers, "home-made" semiconductor rectifier modules, excellent component protection against sparking, and easy maintenance. This report describes design, construction, and testing of the high voltage system.