Solid State High Voltage DC Power Distribution & Control [pdf]
Here is the key point from the above [pdf].
The largest cost components in this design are the semiconductors (IGBTs). Because of their widespread use in locomotive engines, subway cars, elevators, and a wide range of electrical motor drive and power supply systems, these devices are evolving at a rapid pace, especially in comparison with vacuum switch tubes. In the last decade, we have seen the switching speed and power handling capability of IGBTs increase by an order of magnitude (200 kVA to 4 MVA), at essentially constant prices. This puts high power electronics, for the first time, on a favorable, long term cost reduction path. This is the equivalent of the computer industry’s Moore’s Law of continually higher performance per unit cost, but applied to power systems.Quite so. IGBTs with a voltage rating of 6,500 Volts and a 600 Amp current rating are now off the shelf.
Today, a 100 kV, 2MW buck regulator, with a series switch, can be built for approximately $500k USD. This cost will decline due to increased semiconductor performance and decreased manufacturing costs. In contrast, estimates for the equivalent conventional approach are $2- 3M USD, and show no trend towards cost reduction.
A Solid-State Switch for 13.8kV Power Distribution [pdf]
The company claims to be able to make power conversion equipment that costs in the range of 10¢ a watt in production quantities. That is a very good number. Diversified claims specifications for their supply technology that are very not too bad. An adjustable 100 KV DC supply can deliver 1% regulation and .1% ripple. That is just the ticket for Polywell Fusion experiments using D-D. For pB11 at the resonance peak I'd like to see tighter regulation. Say .1% regulation and .01% ripple. I have some ideas.
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2 comments:
My dad brought up the point that fractions of a second are pretty much solid state, so fluctuations wouldn't be that big of a deal.
The idea was, you pulse the fuel into the reactor at 60 hertz, and you get a pulsed DC output. All you need then is a big enough transformer to turn it into proper AC current at your preferred voltage. Think that would work?
Loren. Yes. I think something like that could be made to work.
In fact with the right controls you could make the reactor put out a nice 60 HZ sine wave. However, the reactor could not put out its full rated power with such a scheme.
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