A 6-MV Pulser to Drive Horizontally Polarized EMP Simulators

L-3 Pulse Sciences (L-3 PS) is fabricating a 6-MV biconic pulse generator to drive a horizontally polarized dipole electromagnetic pulse simulator antenna at the Naval Air Systems Command, Pax River. The L-3 PS pulser, i.e., the horizontal fast rise electromagnetic pulser (HFREMP), will replace the Maxwell Laboratories ML-5 pulser. The HFREMP project is funded through the Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP). The CTEIP was established by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to provide joint initiatives, avoid unwarranted duplication of capability, and increase interoperability through capability improvement projects for the DoD Major Ranges and Test Facility Bases. Like the Physics International Fast Risetime EMP Simulator (FEMPS) 2000, which drives an identical antenna at the Centre d'Etudes de Gramat, France, the HFREMP uses two stages of pulse compression. In fact, output capacitors, output switches, intermediate capacitors, and intermediate switches all use the same type of design as the FEMPS 2000. The Marx generator is of a different lower inductance design, and where FEMPS 2000 has a 2.7-MV Marx pulser in only one side, the HFREMP has a 3-MV pulser in each side of the 150- bicone that is the central part of the antenna. When the HFREMP drives the existing Pax River antenna, which is a variable height antenna (30-18 m), it will produce a 60- to 117.5-kV/m peak at the reference sensor with a waveform similar to that of the ML-5, which produces 47-92 kV/m. The HFREMP has also been considered to drive a bounded wave antenna of a different design, which is a fixed height antenna (30 m), producing at the reference sensor a peak field of over 80 kV/m and a wider more smoothly decaying pulse. The design of the HFREMP is described and compared with the designs of ML-5 and FEMPS 2000. Predictions of its performance into both types of antennas are presented.