Testing of a modular over-voltage trigger device for marx generators

Over-voltage triggering is a trigger method for Marx generators, which omits additional wear of electrode. Hence, it is suitable for triggered long-term operation of Marx generators in industrial applications as for example electroporation of plant cells in large scale. The trigger device replaces one or both charging coils between the 1st and 2nd stage of the Marx generator and superimposes an over-voltage to the 1st stage's spark gap. The device is powered by the charging current of the Marx generator. The design of an existing compact trigger device has a shortcoming concerning the scalability in order to adapt it to different Marx generator designs. Hence, a modular trigger device has been developed. This device consists of stacked stages, which enables scaling more easily. A 20-stage device has been built and successfully tested. The paper describes some design issues and testing of the modular trigger device.