Linear transformer driver

A linear transformer driver (LTD) is an annular parallel connection of switches and capacitors designed to deliver rapid high power pulses. The LTD was designed at the Institute of High Current Electronics (IHCE) in Tomsk, Russia. The LTD is capable of producing high current, up to 1 megaamp (10⁶ amps), pulses with a risetime of less than 100 ns. This is an improvement over Marx generator based pulsed power devices which require pulse compression to achieve such fast risetimes. It is being considered as a driver for z-pinch based inertial confinement fusion.

LTDs at Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratory is currently investigating a z-pinch as a possible ignition source for inertial confinement fusion. On its "Z machine", Sandia can achieve dense, high temperature plasmas by firing fast, 100-nanosecond current pulses exceeding 20 million amps through hundreds of tungsten wires with diameters on the order of tens of micrometres. The LTD is currently being investigated as a driver for the next generation of high power accelerators.