The paper presents the results of model testing of the electrically exploded current interrupter (switch) designed for the switching system used to release the electromagnetic energy from the inductive storage to the load through a closing switch-discharger. A capacitor bank was used as a source of energy for the inductive storage. Some features of the discharger were varied in order to increase its reliability and operation speed. The obtained experimental data allowed making recommendations on practical implementation of the opening switch. The optimized version demonstrated a possibility to form current pulses with submicrosecond rise time, up to ~ 100 ns, in the low-impedance loads of the inductive storages. The obtained result is true for the currents of megaampere and multimegaampere level that makes it possible to use the opening switch for commutation of the energy sources with high energy capacity, for example, of the explosive magnetic generators.

One of the directions for achieving thermonuclear ignition is compression of a heated, magnetized plasma by a liner. This concept was developed in the USA at the Z Machine (MagLIF project). To achieve ignition, it is necessary to create a current pulse with an amplitude of 60 MA or higher. The Z Machine produces currents with amplitudes up to 25 MA. The development of more powerful installations is a problem for the future. At the same time, today already, the explosive magnetic generators create the required currents with long current rise times. In this work, based on calculation results of the compression of a hot magnetized plasma, the possibilities of achieving ignition using modern disc explosive magnetic generators are discussed.

There are two known directions of work on the implementation of inertial thermonuclear fusion using Z-pinches. In the first, to achieve thermonuclear ignition, it is proposed to compress the target by indirect irradiation with Z-pinch X-ray radiation. The other direction is to compress the preheated magnetized plasma with a liner. Preheating reduces compression requirements, while magnetization reduces thermal conductivity losses and provides additional heating by α-particles even at low plasma density. This concept is being developed in the United States at the Z machine (MagLIF project). According to existing concepts, in order to achieve thermonuclear ignition in these schemes, facilities are required that can create a current pulse with an amplitude of ~ 60 MA. The most powerful facilities based on capacitor banks—the Z machine—realizes a current of up to 25 MA. The creation of facilities that are one order of magnitude more powerful than the Z machine is a matter of the future. Along with this, explosive magnetic generators (EMG) today already implement the required energy, although with much longer rise time of current pulse. The paper discusses the possibilities of using the EMG to achieve the ignition, the arising problems and ways to solve them.

We report on the results of the computer simulation of the operation of magnetodynamic break switches used as the second stage of current pulse formation in magnetic explosion generators. The simulation was carried out under the conditions when the magnetic field energy density on the surface of the switching conductor as a function of the current through it was close to but still did not exceed the critical value typical of the beginning of electric explosion. In the computational model, we used the parameters of experimentally tested sample of a coil magnetic explosion generator that can store energy of up to 2.7 MJ in the inductive storage circuit and equipped with a primary explosion stage of the current pulse formation. It has been shown that the choice of the switching conductor material, as well as its elastoplastic properties, considerably affects the breaker speed. Comparative results of computer simulation for copper and aluminum have been considered.

Presented are the fundamentals of a consistently electrodynamic 2-D technique of designing helical explosive magnetic generators by numerical simulation on the basis of nonuniform equation for the vector potential with a priori set right-side term. The technique is demonstrated by solving a 1-D problem. A model 2-D problem a closed coil over a tube is analyzed. A coil current rupture is simulated. Concepts of vacuum inductance and free magnetic flux are discussed. Magnetic flux losses in the skin layer and free magnetic flux variation are calculated for an instant compression of an electric contour. A 2-D nonstationary problem a closed coil over a tube is solved. A critical mode of the generator operation is analyzed. A technique is described for solving a problem multiturn helix over a tube.

This paper presents the results of laboratory and explosive experiments with a plasma focus discharge Mather-type chamber at a discharge current amplitude of 1.3–1.4 MA. It has been found that in laboratory experiments, the yield of a deuterium-deuterium neutrons reached 1011, and in an explosive experiment using the chamber filled with a deuterium-tritium gas mixture, the integral yield of a deuterium-tritium neutrons with an energy of 14 MeV was more than 1012 neutrons.

A model of a disk-shaped explosive magnetic generator 400 mm in diameter with an initial energy storage capacity of about 40 MJ is considered. The generator is integrated with a cumulative current pulse shaper and is also equipped with a remote magnetodynamic interrupter. Calculations show that this generator is capable of forming current pulses with an amplitude of up to 20 MA and a rise time of about 130 ns in finiteinductance (∼10 nH) dynamic loads. This allows rapid (for about 60 ns) compression of light (20–30 mg) liners to generate intense beams of soft X rays. Results obtained using a computational model of the magnetodynamic interrupter, which is the key component of the generator, are verified experimentally.

The feasibility of using a magnetodynamic current interrupter for switching multimegaampere current pulses is considered. The operation of the interrupter is based on the fast buildup of edge instabilities. A technical solution is suggested, and the performance of the interrupter when used in the second stage of peaking the current of helical explosive magnetic generators (HEMGs) and capacitor banks is predicted. It is shown by computer simulation that the interrupter can operate in the submicrosecond range and switch currents as high as several tens of megaamperes, the operating speed of the interrupter increasing with linear current density. The limit actuation time of the interrupter may be on the order of 100 ns. A prototype of the interrupter is experimentally verified on a capacitor setup by switching currents with an amplitude of 4.3–4.5 MA.

Исследуется роль эффекта Холла в экспериментах по магнитному обжатию DT-плазмы в цилиндрической камере МАГО, в которых в качестве источника энергии использовался взрывомагнитный генератор. Для этого выполнено численное моделирование динамики плазмы с замещением генератора, узла разрыва и остальных элементов L–R-цепочками. Моделирование велось на основании 2D программы, разработанной для численного решения системы МГД-уравнений, позволяющей учитывать эффект Холла. При учете эффекта Холла измеряемые величины, найденные по результатам численного моделирования, лучше согласуются с экспериментальными данными.