Claims
- 1. A thyratron for use as a high-voltage switch, comprising:
- a gas-filled envelope having therein electrodes including cathode means, an anode, a control grid, and an auxiliary grid located between the cathode means and the control grid;
- said envelope and each of said electrodes having a rectangular cross section, with the thyratron being linearly scalable for use with stripline geometry in a circuit;
- wherein said envelope includes a metal wall around said electrodes on four sides, first cover means of metal for the "top" end, second cover means of metal for the "bottom" end, and a quartz insulator between the metal wall and the first cover means;
- anode support means between the anode and the first cover means which mechanically supports the anode and electrically couples it to the first cover means, cathode support means between the cathode and the second cover means which mechanically supports the cathode and electrically couples it to the second cover means;
- wherein said control grid is cup shaped open at the top and spaced a short distance from the anode on the four sides and the bottom, the bottom and short sides being solid, with longitudinal slots on the two long sides, grid baffle means comprising two elements of metal extending longitudinally along said slots and beyond the ends of the slots, attached to the control grid above the slots, first feedthrough means extending through and insulated from said metal wall and attached to the baffle means for mechanical support of the baffle and control grid and electrical connection thereto.
- 2. A thyratron according to claim 1, wherein the material of said cathode means is barium aluminate impregnated tungsten, used in a shallow, vane type cathode structure for increased emission area.
- 3. A thyratron for use as a high-voltage switch, comprising:
- a gas-filled envelope having therein electrodes including cathode means, an anode, a control gird, and an auxiliary grid located between the cathode means and the control grid;
- wherein the material of said cathode means is barium aluminate impregnated tungsten, used in a shallow, vane type cathode structure for increased emission area;
- said envelope and each of said electrodes having a rectangular cross-section, with the thyratron being linearly scalable for use with stripline geometry in a circuit;
- wherein said envelope includes a metal wall around said electrodes on four sides, first cover means of metal for the "top" end, second cover means of metal for the "bottom" end, and a quartz insulator between the metal wall and the first cover means;
- including a plurality of gas ports through said envelope for circulation of a selected gas of high purity at low pressure;
- anode support means between the anode and the first cover means which mechanically supports the anode and electrically couples it to the first cover means, cathode support means between the cathode and the second cover means which mechanically supports the cathode and electrically couples it to the second cover means;
- wherein said control grid is cup shaped open at the top and spaced a short distance from the anode on the four sides and the bottom, the bottom and short sides being solid, with longitudinal slots on the two long sides, grid baffle means comprising two elements of metal extending longitudinally along said slots and beyond the ends of the slots, attached to the control grid above the slots, first feedthrough means extending through and insulated from said metal wall and attached to the baffle means for mechanical support of the baffle and control grid and electrical connection thereto.
- 4. A thyratron according to claim 3, wherein said auxiliary grid comprises two metal sheets with a gap between them in the transverse direction, with one of the sheets having a lip extending below the other sheet, the sheets being bent at the sides along the length between the cathode means and said metal wall, second feedthrough means extending through and insulated from said metal wall and attached to the auxiliary grid sheets for mechanical support of the auxiliary grid and electrical connection thereto; and
- wherein said anode, said control grid, and said auxiliary grid are of stainless steel.
- 5. A thyratron for use as a high-voltage switch in a circuit with a pulse forming line and a laser head in a laser assembly, said tyratron comprising:
- a gas-filled envelope having therein electrodes including cathode means, an anode, a control grid, and an auxiliary grid located between the cathode means and the control grid;
- said envelope and each of said electrodes having a rectangular cross-section, with the thyratron being linearly scalable for use with stripline geometry in said circuit;
- wherein said envelope includes a metal wall around said electrodes on four sides, first cover means of metal for the "top" end, second cover means of metal for the "bottom" end, and a quartz insulator between the metal wall and the first cover means;
- anode support means between the anode and the first cover means which mechanically supports the anode and electrically couples it to the first cover means, cathode suppot means between the cathode and the second cover means which mechanically supports the cathode and electrically couples it to the second cover means;
- wherein said control grid is cup shaped open at the top and spaced a short distance from the anode on the four sides and the bottom, the bottom and short sides being solid, with longitudinal slots on the two long sides, grid baffle means comprising two elements of metal extending longitudinally along said slots and beyond the ends of the slots, attached to the control grid above the slots, first feedthrough means extending through and insulated from said metal wall and attached to the baffle means for mechanical support of the baffle and control grid and electrical connection thereto;
- stripline means comprising a first metal plane fitted tightly to the first cover means, and connected to one side of the pulse forming line, and also to a high voltage source; a second metal plane forming a ground plane fitted tightly to said second cover means, connected to the laser head, and also to ground potential; and a third metal plane joining the pulse forming line to the laser head.
- 6. A thyratron for use as a high voltage switch, comprising:
- a gas-filled envelope having therein electrodes including cathode means, an anode, a control grid, and an auxiliary grid located between the cathode means and the control grid;
- said envelope and each of said electrodes having a rectangular cross section, with the thyratron being linearly scalable for use with stripline geometry in a circuit;
- wherein said envelope includes a metal wall around said electrodes on four sides, a ring cap on one end of the metal wall extending around the four sides, an insulator formed from a block of quartz, hollowed through the inside, and mounted on the ring cap to form a wall around the four sides, as an extension of said metal wall, so that the envelope has a "top" end with said insulator and a "bottom" end with said metal wall, first cover means of metal for the "top" end, second cover means of metal for the "bottom" end; wherein said control grid is cup shaped open at the top and spaced a short distance from the anode on the four sides and the bottom, the bottom and short sides being solid, with longitudinal slots on the two long sides, grid baffle means comprising two elements of metal extending longitudinally along said slots and beyond the ends of the slots, attached to the control grid above the slots, first feedthrough means extending through and insulated from said metal wall and attached to the baffle means for mechanical support of the baffle and control grid and electrical connection thereto;
- a plurality of gas ports through said envelope for circulation of a selected gas of high purity at low pressure;
- anode support means between the anode and the first cove means which mechanically supports the anode and electrically couples it to the first cover means, cathode support means between the cathode and the second cover means which mechanically supports the cathode and electrically couples it to the second cover means.
- 7. A thyratron according to claim 6, wherein the material of said cathode means is barium aluminate impregnated tungsten, used in a shallow, vane type cathode structure for increased emission area;
- wherein said ring cap is of metal with a lower projection having outside dimensions equal to the inner dimensions of said metal wall, and which extends into said insulator, with the ring cap having an upper portion which is thicker and has outer dimensions equal to the outer dimensions of the metal wall, the insulator being sealed to the first cover means to the ring cap by O-rings in grooves of the first cover means and the ring cap.
- 8. A thyratron according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary grid comprises two metal sheets with a gap between them in the transverse direction, with one of the sheets having a lip extending below the other sheet, the sheets being bent at the sides along the length between the cathode means and said metal wall, second feedthrough means extending through and insulated from said metal wall and attached to the auxiliary grid sheets for mechanical support of the auxiliary grid and electrical connection thereto; and
- wherein said anode, said control grid, and said auxiliary grid are of stainless steel.
RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for all governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty.
US Referenced Citations (4)