Pulsed Power Systems

Pulsed Power technology involves the science and engineering of the slow storage of energy (usually electric) followed by a rapid discharge of this energy (in a short pulse) into some load. The main purpose is to achieve an effective compression of the energy pulse with accompanying power gain (amplification). The main technological problems are cost, weight, volume reduction, and life and reliability improvements in repetitive systems. Past work in this field has dealt mainly with single energy pulses, whereas current work deals more with repetitive systems in which repetition rates often exceed 1000 pulses s − 1 . The vast majority of the advances in this technology have been made possible primarily through support for defense related applications though many civilian applications exist and are used every day in ways many may not expect.