Prototype long pulse klystron modulator for the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Sweden under construction
Turgi, Switzerland, June 13, 2014. Never before a serial parallel resonant converter has been built for such a high power level to power klystrons for an accelerator. Ampegon as the leading manufacturer of long pulse modulators demonstrates an absolutely new approach for this type of application bringing many advantages, first to one of the most advanced research projects, ESS. This new development has been made possible in cooperation with the Institute of High Power Electronics at the ETH Zurich.
Up to now with the traditional topology long pulse modulators with such a long pulse length would require a huge pulse transformer. The pioneering and innovative new approach is to build a modulator without any pulse transformer, achieving the necessary pulse length with a high frequency inverter, transformer and rectifier topology operated in resonant mode. The topology is short circuit proof and the stored energy in the system is very low by design thus providing an extremely high protection for the klystron load. In addition it provides very accurate pulse wave forms with a very low flat top ripple and a high efficiency. The new system optimizes the required space, is modular and therefore simple to maintain. Redundancy keeps the availability on the maximum level.
The European Spallation Source is a multi-disciplinary research centre based on the world’s most powerful neutron source, 30 times brighter than existing facilities. It will be built by at least 17 European countries at Lund University in Sweden with the Data Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark. ESS will be the first institute to benefit from the new Ampegon technology.
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