Compact Wide Range High-Voltage/Current Impulse Generator for Simulating Various Indirect Effects of Lightning

Abstract

In this study, a high-voltage, high-current impulse generator to evaluate the indirect effects of lightning was developed. The impulse generator was designed to meet 14 distinct conditions necessary for simulating various lightning-induced scenarios. To accommodate these diverse requirements, pulse forming networks (PFNs) incorporating passive elements and high-repetition-rate semiconductor switches for high voltage and current was designed. The major challenge addressed in this research was the design of a high-voltage capacitor charger (HVCC) that can efficiently supply the required energy under each specified condition with a single unit. Because it should rapidly and repeatedly charge capacitors that vary in size by up to 40 000 times. Therefore, unlike typical HVCC designs that are optimized based on a specific voltage or current, this study selected two output currents as part of the HVCC design process, taking into account capacitor size, charging speed, and precision, along with various output voltage conditions. The HVCC was designed based on an analysis of an inductor-capacitor–capacitor (LCC) resonant converter utilizing a trapezoidal resonant current. It was designed to maintain a consistent target output current across a wide range of output voltages and capacitor conditions, while minimizing the stress on switches. Additionally, an appropriate structural design was incorporated to handle high voltages. The HVCC has been experimentally verified to precisely charge a wide range of load capacitors (from 1 to 38 500 nF) with high voltage (up to 11 kV) at a rapid repetition rate (up to 11 kHz). Additionally, through integrated experiments with the PFN, it has been experimentally verified that the system can precisely output impulses at all targeted conditions, including high-voltage impulses of 3300 V at a rapid repetition rate of 11 kHz and high-current impulses of 5100 A.