Re: Marx generator (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 13:49:20 -0800
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Marx generator (fwd)

At 12:30 PM 11/22/2005, you wrote:
>Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Subject: Re: Marx generator (fwd)
>
>Howdy,
>   Does the erecting of a Marx coil happen all at once or does one gap fire
>then the next and so on ?? Does anyone have a " short " video of a Marx in
>operation??
>    With all the parts in one of these devices, It sounds loke a good winter
>project, making all the parts.
>
>Thanx
>George Stein

Ideally, they all fire together.  The first gap fires, which makes the 
voltage across the second gap well above it's firing voltage, so it fires, 
and the third gap is even moreso.

High performance Marx units use triggered gaps to ensure that they all fire.

The UV light from the first gap also helps breakdown the rest of the gaps 
(especially if you've set the gaps to "almost fire" before erection) and 
that takes a few nanoseconds.

If you really need stable erection, then the Fitch circuit is used (which 
has diodes and inductors).  http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlux/hv/marx.htm 
has details