The conceptual design of 100-kA pulsed magnetic field generator for magnetized high-energy-density plasma experiments

Abstract

This paper presents the conceptual design of a high-voltage pulser intended to generate 30-T magnetic fields for magneto-inertial fusion experiments at the OMEGA facility. The pulser uses a custom capacitor bank and two externally triggered spark gaps to drive a multi-turn coil. This new high-voltage pulser is capable of storing 10 times more energy than the previous system, using a higher charge voltage (from 20 to 30 kV) and a larger capacitance (from 1 {\mu}F to 5 {\mu}F). Circuit simulations show that this pulser can deliver 100 kA into a 60-nH, 14-m{\Omega} coil with a rise time of 1 {\mu}s. For a coil with 2 turns with an average coil diameter of 7.8 mm, this current translates into a 32-T peak magnetic field at coil center. This is a factor of three increase in the peak magnetic field compared to the present generator magnetic field capabilities.