Publications

Exploding wires are used in many high-energy applications, such as initiating explosives. Previous work analyzing gold wire burst in detonator applications has shown burst current and action metrics to be inconsistent with burst phenomenon across multiple firing-sets. Energy density better captures the correlation between different wire geometries, different electrical inputs, and explosive initiation. This idea has been expanded upon, to analyze the burst properties in power-energy space. Further inconsistencies in the understanding of wire burst and its relation to peak voltage have been found. An argument will be made for redefining the definition of burst. The result is a more broad understanding of rapid metal phase transition and the initiation of explosives in EBW applications.

Alkali-free glasses, which exhibit high energy storage densities (~35 J/cc), present a unique opportunity to couple high temperature stability with high breakdown strength, and thus provide an avenue for capacitor applications with stringent temperature and power requirements. Realizing the potential of these materials in kilovolt class capacitors with >1 J/cc recoverable energy density requires novel packaging strategies that incorporate these extremely fragile dielectrics. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating wound capacitors using 50-μm-thick glass. Two capacitors were fabricated from 2.8-m-long ribbons of thin (50 μm) glass wound into 125-140-mm-diameter spools. The capacitors exhibit a capacitance of 70-75 nF with loss tangents below 1%. The wound capacitors can operate up to 1 kV and show excellent temperature stability to 150 °C. By improving the end terminations, the self-resonance can be shifted to above 1 MHz, indicating that these materials may be useful for pulsed power applications with microsecond discharge times.

This report is a guide to the use of the Sandia - developed Ringdown Parasitic Extractor (RPE) software tool. It explains the theory behind performing parasitic extraction from curr ent ringdown waveforms and describes how to use the tool to achieve good results. Further dissemination only as authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors; other requests shall be approved by the originating facility or higher DOE programmatic authority.

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This report is a guide to the use of the Sandia - developed Ringdown Parasitic Extractor (RPE) software tool. It explains the theory behind performing parasitic extraction from curr ent ringdown waveforms and describes how to use the tool to achieve good results. Further dissemination only as authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors; other requests shall be approved by the originating facility or higher DOE programmatic authority.

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There is a significant body of work going back centuries that describes in detail the workings of metals that are rapidly transitioned from a solid to a vapor and beyond. These are known as exploding metals and have a variety of applications. A common way to cause metals to explode is through the use of a capacitive discharge circuit (CDC). In the past, methods have been used to simplify the complex, non-linear interaction between the CDC and the metal but in the process some important physics has been lost. This report provides insight into the complex interplay of the metal and the various elements of the CDC. In explaining the basic phenomena in greater detail than has been done before, other interesting cases such as "dwell" are understood in a new light. The net result is a detailed look at the mechanisms which shape the current pulses that scientists and engineers have observed for many decades.

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To do effective product development, a systematic and rigorous approach to innovation is necessary. Standard models of system engineering provide that approach.

In April of 2009, testing was done of a high-g instrumentation device that utilized Tadiran TLM-1530MP cells as a power source. As a result of that testing, it was determined that those cells exhibit failure more often when shocked in the axial direction. No failures over many tests where found when the cells were shocked laterally. Moreover, when shocked laterally, the cells exhibited no observable degradation in performance. We looked at the failed cells via non-destructive x-ray analysis to determine what internal structures failed.