The high voltage app notes are designed to answer question that
may arise from specific types of installation. If you have
comments or suggestions please email
them to us.
Lambda Americas' ALE systems division is the
oldest and most experienced designer and manufacturer of high voltage
capacitor charging power supplies operating today. The wide range of
output voltages (1 - 65kV) and power levels (500J/sec to 30kJ/sec)
available from a single supplier is unique in the industry.
ALE Capacitor charging power supplies are specifically designed to
efficiently charge capacitive loads to high voltages with excellent pulse
to pulse repeatability at very high repetition rates. Capacitor charging
supplies differ from conventional DC supplies in that the output current
is fixed and not variable, allowing the load capacitor to be charged in
the fastest possible time, with no requirement for series current limiting
resistors. All of ALE's capacitor charging supplies have a fast inhibit
input. This allows the user to start and stop load charging with a simple
0 -10V input signal.
This facility is particularly useful in repetitive
discharge circuits where inhibiting the supply output current after the
load has been discharged aids in switch recovery. In addition to the fast
inhibit control all of the standard power supplies feature a comprehensive
control interface with programming and status signals.
The capacitor charging supply was originally designed to replace large
command resonant charge supplies in high performance lasers. Even today
the largest application for this type of supply is the laser
industry. Although lasers are the largest users of capacitor charging
power supplies, they also find applications in areas as diverse as medical
sterilization and rock crushing.
Although the ALE series of power supplies have been designed to operate as
constant current capacitor charging supplies, they can be used in
continuous DC applications with the addition of an external filter
capacitor. When used in DC applications the ALE series can often deliver
more average power, see the product details for the actual rating.
