Pulsed power safety and technical training at Sandia National Laboratories

The expansion of pulsed power applications research at Sandia National Labs requires increasing technician-level support from individuals trained in high voltage, short pulse technology. Large superpower generators need a broad-based training curriculum in all aspects of accelerator operation to satisfy recent Department of Energy (DOE) desires for formal certification of accelerator operators. This paper discusses the status of Sandia's safety and technical training program in pulsed power technology directed mainly towards high school graduate and technical school level students. Present safety training methodology requires that hazards for experimental facilities are identified first, a specific curriculum is then tailored to individuals' background experiences and hazards involved with their current assignments. In the technical training program, certification requirements are being established and a coursework program has been initiated in which subjects are organized into two sections. The first covers electrical principles and physical properties of pulsed power components. The second presents various support-type subsystems for accelerators.