The "Hourglass" energy diverter

A new design for a series spark-gap array for energy diverter usage has been developed. The electrical circuit of this array differs from previously reported energy diverter designs in two respects. First, the capacitors from each electrode to ground are eliminated, and second, the interelectrode capacitances of the gaps are not all equal. By varying the interelectrode capacitances of each gap in accordance with predetermined requirements, it was possible to study several triggering modes. In particular, two triggering modes were investigated; a "constant overvoltage" mode and an "increasing overvoltage" mode.