Lifetime testing of commercially available 3.0 /spl mu/f, 100 kv pulsed-power capacitors

The lifetime characteristics of a small sample group of commercially available 3.0-/spl mu/F, 100-kV pulsed discharge capacitors have been determined in an automated test facility. Both Maxwell Laboratories and Aerovox, Inc., capacitors were tested to failure to establish a data base on these new designs, which are a direct physical replacement for the present 1.3-/spl mu/F, 100-kV, Syllac-style capacitor [1] that are in wide spread use at Sandia and in the pulsed-power community. In conjunction with the lifetime testing, a bipolar, 30-stage, 6-MV, Marx generator was constructed with these capacitors using conventional PBFA-II hardware and the Physics International Company, model T-508A spark gap. Capacitor failure mechanisms and lifetime statistics will be discussed. Electrode erosion rates in the 508A switches will be presented for the conventional brass electrodes and a copper/tungsten replacement set.