Pulsed Power and Power Electronics PURPOSE Military forces are faced with new and unpredictable enemy attacks in the battlefield The Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics utilizes its expertise in generating very high power electrical pulses to provide troops on the battlefield with effective, innovative technology This effort is complemented by investigating the physical phenomena associated with pulsed high voltage and the development of compact solid state power supplies Researchers collecting data at an indoor explosives range RESEARCH FOCUS Texas Tech University engineers and scientists develop compact, repetitive, high voltage generators that can drive a wide range of devices and systems for military applications These devices and systems include directed energy devices, electronic jammers, electronic upset devices, car immobilizers, non-lethal crowd control systems, and power electronics Large space simulation facility (vacuum and thermal) RECENT DEVELOPMENTS • Developed novel, high-efficiency, high-energy density, solid state power supplies for DoD and NASA • Developed and demonstrated one of the first U.S examples of all-explosive pulsed power generators • Developed a unique university explosives research facility • Developed unique high-speed diagnostics with optical and electrical capabilities • Investigated novel methods leading to electronicallytriggered equipment defeat • Developed multi-university cooperative research programs • Developed the world’s best-equipped university high voltage, pulsed power, power electronics laboratory • Established the IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference that now has more than 600 participants • Largest producer of graduate students in the area of Pulsed Power Majority of students finds employment at national laboratories such as LANL, Sandia, Los Alamos, NRL, and defense industry Texas Tech University | Whitacre College of Engineering Box 43103 | Lubbock, TX 79409-3103 T 806.742.3451 | F 806.742.3493 www.coe.ttu.edu Pulsed Power and Power Electronics SAMPLE PUBLICATIONS G Laity, A Fierro, L Hatfield, J Dickens, and A Neuber, “Spatially Resolved Vacuum UV Spectral Imaging of Pulsed Atmospheric Flashover,” to be published in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (2011) J Foster, H Krompholz, A Neuber, “Investigation of the Delay Time Distribution of High Power Microwave Surface Flashover,” Physics of Plasmas 18, 013502 (2011) J Krile and A Neuber, “Modeling statistical variations in high power microwave breakdown,” Appl Phys Lett 98, 211502 (2011) C James, C Hettler, J Dickens, “Design and Evaluation of a Compact Silicon Carbide Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 58, pp 508-511, (2011) T Rogers, A Neuber, G Laity, K Frank, J Dickens, “VUV Emission and Streamer Formation in Pulsed Dielectric Surface Flashover at Atmospheric Pressure,” IEEE Trans on Plasma Sci 38, pp 2764 – 2770, (2010) J Parson, J Dickens, J Walter, A Neuber, “Pulsed magnetic field excitation sensitivity of match-type electric blasting caps,” Review of Scientific Instruments 81, pp 105115-105115-7 (2010) MAJOR RESEARCH GRANTS Pulsed Ring-Down and EMP Generators for IED Neutralization and Controlled Destruction, $995,000 Advanced Railgun Materials Development, AFOSR, $466,000 Compact Pulsed Power for Defense Applications, US Army Space & Missile Defense Command, $10.9 million Counter IED Diagnostics $240,000 The Nanophysics of Electron Emission and Breakdown for High Power Microwave Sources, $1.25 million Development of Marx Generator and Triode Vircator, FMV, Sweden, $280,000 Development of Novel RF Transmitters, LMC, $680,000 Explosive-Driven Power Generation for Directed-Energy Munitions, AFOSR, $1.5 million RESEARCH TEAM Dr M Kristiansen Dr J Dickens Dr M Giesselmann Dr H Krompholz Dr L Hatfield Dr A Neuber Dr S Bayne Dr J Krile Support Staff 22 Graduate students (all US citizens) 15 Undergraduate students Texas Tech University | Whitacre College of Engineering Box 43103 | Lubbock, TX 79409-3103 T 806.742.3451 | F 806.742.3493 www.coe.ttu.edu Faculty and Staff preparing an explosively driven flux compression generator