High energy pulse on a high-voltage-direct-current offset

Abstract

Pulse power supply systems and methods are disclosed. A method includes providing earth-ground-referenced control circuitry and providing floating pulsed-power circuitry. The method also includes providing a DC offset voltage to the return port of the pulsed-power circuitry with a DC offset module and providing a peak voltage to the pulsed-power circuitry with a DC voltage source. Power is applied from a power source of the control circuitry to a driver of the pulsed-power circuitry via a galvanically-isolating power path and a trigger signal is applied from the control circuitry to the driver via a galvanically-isolated signal path to prompt the driver to produce a driver signal. A voltage pulse is produced between the output port and the return port by closing the switch with the driver signal to couple the peak voltage to the output port.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a DC voltage source configured to provide a DC output voltage;   an output port;   a switch, coupled to the output port, wherein the switch closes in response to a signal from a driver;   a DC offset module coupled to a return port, wherein the DC offset module is configured to provide a DC offset voltage to the return port; and   a controller, coupled to the driver,   wherein the controller is configured to control the driver to signal the switch to close, thereby producing a pulsed voltage between the output port and the return port.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the switch is coupled between the output port and the return port, such that closing the switch couples the DC offset voltage from the DC offset module to the output port. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the switch is coupled between the DC voltage source and the output port, such that closing the switch couples a peak voltage from the DC voltage source to the output port. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the switch is a first switch and the driver is a first driver, the system further comprising:
 a second switch coupled between the output port and the return port, wherein the second switch closes in response to a drive signal from a second driver,   wherein the controller is further configured to control the second driver to signal the second switch to close, to produce the pulsed voltage between the output port and the return port.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to vary a length of time that at least one of the first and second switches is closed while the other of the first and second switches is open, to effectuate a pulse-width modulation of the pulsed voltage. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a first series of switches, coupled between the DC voltage source and the output port, wherein the first switch is comprised among the first series of switches; and   a second series of switches, coupled between the output port and the return port, wherein the second switch is comprised among the second series of switches,   such that the first and second series of switches enable stacked voltage levels.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is coupled to the driver via an isolation path, and wherein the controller is configured to control the driver to signal the switch by sending a control signal via the isolation path to the driver, wherein the isolation path comprises an electro-optical coupling. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power path configured to apply power from at least one power source to the driver, wherein the power path galvanically isolates the power source from the driver.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the power source includes an AC power supply, and the power path comprises:
 a rectifier configured to apply a rectified voltage to the driver; and   a transformer inductively coupling the AC power supply to the rectifier to galvanically isolate the AC power supply from the driver.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to produce the pulsed voltage between the output port and the return port such that the pulsed voltage has a rise time of less than 1 millisecond (ms) for a change in voltage of at least 1 kilovolt (kV). 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a DC voltage source configured to provide a DC output voltage;   an output port;   a first switch coupled between the DC voltage source and the output port, wherein the first switch closes in response to a first drive signal from a first driver;   a second switch coupled between a return port and the output port, wherein the second switch closes in response to a second drive signal from a second driver;   a DC offset module coupled to the return port, wherein the DC offset module is configured to provide a DC offset voltage to the return port; and   a controller, coupled to the first driver and the second driver,   wherein the controller is configured to produce a pulsed voltage between the output port and the return port by sending control signals to the first driver and the second driver to alternately open and close the first and second switches.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is coupled to the first driver via a first isolation path comprising a first electro-optical coupling, and coupled to the second driver via a second isolation path comprising a second electro-optical coupling, wherein the controller is configured to send the control signals via the first isolation path to the first driver, and via the second isolation path to the second driver, the system further comprising:
 at least two power paths configured to apply power from at least two AC power sources to the first driver and the second driver, wherein the at least two power paths galvanically isolate the at least two AC power sources from the first driver and the second driver, wherein each respective power path of the at least two power paths comprises:   a rectifier configured to apply a rectified voltage to a corresponding one of the drivers; and   a transformer inductively coupling a corresponding one of the AC power sources to the rectifier to galvanically isolate the corresponding one of the AC power sources from the corresponding one of the drivers.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a single AC power supply, configured to provide power in a single inductive isolation path to both the first driver and the second driver. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to send the control signals to alternately open and close the first and second switches with a varying length of time for one of the first and second switches to be closed while the other is open, to effectuate pulse-width modulation of the pulsed voltage. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a first series of switches, coupled between the DC voltage source and the output port, wherein the first switch is comprised among the first series of switches; and   a second series of switches, coupled between the output port and the return port, wherein the second switch is comprised among the second series of switches,   wherein the first and second series of switches enable stacked voltage levels.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising processor executable instructions, the instructions comprising instructions to:
 provide a peak voltage from a DC voltage source to pulsed-power circuitry;   provide a DC offset voltage from a DC offset module to a return port of the pulsed-power circuitry;   apply power to a driver of the pulsed-power circuitry; and   apply a trigger signal to the driver to prompt the driver to produce a driver signal that closes a switch coupled to an output port of the pulsed-power circuitry, thereby producing a voltage pulse between the output port and the return port.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions to apply the trigger signal to the driver to prompt the driver to produce the driver signal comprise instructions to close the switch between the DC voltage source and the output port, thereby coupling the peak voltage to the output port. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the trigger signal is a first trigger signal, the driver is a first driver, and the switch is a first switch, the instructions further comprising:
 instructions to apply a second trigger signal to a second driver to prompt the second driver to produce a second driver signal that closes a second switch coupled between the output port and the return port, such that producing the voltage pulse between the output port and the return port comprises alternately opening and closing the first switch and the second switch.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising instructions to vary a length of the time that one of the first and second switches is closed while the other is open, to effectuate pulse-width modulation of the pulsed voltage. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions to apply the trigger signal to the driver to prompt the driver to produce the driver signal comprise instructions to close the switch between the output port and the return port, thereby coupling the DC offset voltage to the output port.