Increasing demand from major industries for EBW of thick section, high value components, has stimulated further developments in gun design and high voltage power supply technology. Beam power and voltage levels have been raised particularly for Reduced Pressure and Non-Vacuum operation to maintain beam intensity. Radically different approaches to the gun cathode heating and high voltage power supply design have been taken to improve system reliability, particularly at high powers. Conventional auxiliary power supplies which normally reside in the high voltage tank have been replaced by a unique RF resonant transformer locally coupled to the gun column; reducing complexity and improving mobility. In addition, pioneer work started some 12 years ago at TWI has led to an advanced 150kW switch mode power supply capable of fast, intelligent, flashless control to avoid shut-down events.
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