Publications Details

Accounting for slotted cylindrical anodes in current inferences on pulsed power drivers

Porwitzky, Andrew J.; Brown, Justin L.

For over a decade, velocimetry based techniques have been used to infer the electrical current delivered to dynamic materials properties experiments on pulsed power drivers such as the Z Machine. Though originally developed for planar load geometries, in recent years inferring the current delivered to cylindrical coaxial loads has become a valuable diagnostic tool for numerous platforms. Previous work summarized uncertainties that can propagate through the current inference technique when applied to cylindrical anodes. The present work compensates for a known source of error generated when openings (slots) are cut into the cylindrical anode to allow optical diagnostic access to the load anode/cathode gap.