Rapid capacitor charger

Abstract

The increased interest in radio-frequency (RF) weapons for electronic warfare has increased the demand for rapid capacitor chargers. In most cases these charger have to operate from a DC power source and typically have to charge a capacitor bank (Marx bank) at a rate of about 10 Hz. Besides the requirements for energy delivery, the space constraints are crucial. In order to fulfill both, major components have to be operated above their specifications. However, they only need to perform for a short burst with enough time between events to enable use of thermal inertia.