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Modular Pulse Charger and Laser Triggering System for Large-Scale EMP and HPM Applications

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Contract: HDTRA1-16-P-0055
Agency Tracking Number: T16A-004-0031
Amount: $148,931.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: DTRA16A-004
Solicitation Number: 2016.0
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2016
Award Year: 2016
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2016-09-07
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2017-04-06
Small Business Information
6300 Gateway Dr.
Cypress, CA 90630-Array
United States
DUNS: 614108918
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Jonathan Parson
 (719) 302-3117
 jparson@sara.com
Business Contact
 Ruth Craig
Phone: (714) 224-4410
Email: rcraig@sara.com
Research Institution
 Texas Tech University
 Amy Cook, J.D.
 
P.O. Box 3102 The Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics
Lubbock, TX 79409
United States

 (806) 742-3884
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

For effective protection against EMP and HPM threats, it is important to understand the physics of the threats, and also to quantify the effects they have on electrical systems. EMP and HPM vulnerability testing requires delivery of high peak power and electric fields to distant targets. The most practical solution to simulate such environments is to develop a modular, optically-isolated MV-antenna array. This proposal presents an inexpensive 100 kV pulse charger and a low-jitter laser system capable of driving gallium arsenide (GaAs) photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS)-driven antenna modules. To prevent damaging the PCSS, the primary charge storage capacitor (1 nF) must be pulse charged within <10 us, therefore limiting the voltage seen by the switch. The initial simulations of the proposed pulse charger architecture is capable of delivering 5 J of energy within 7 us with a regulated output voltage of up to 100 kV. The optical parameters required to trigger the PCSSs are 300 uJ of ~840 nm light uniformly distributed on a 3 cm2 area. We have identified the Chromium (Cr) Colquiriite crystal, specifically Cr:LiSAF, supporting optics and electronics to meet the required output wavelength requirement of 840 nm and power necessary to reliably turn-on the GaAs PCSSs.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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