Electrostatic modelling of critical electrical components of the Mevex X-ray machine

摘要

The Opera-3D electrostatic modelling software, Tosca, has been used to model Mevex, a type of X-ray machine used at AWE for flash radiography since the early 1980s. The operating principle of the machine is to switch charge, stored in a Mark bank, into a Blumlein pulse-forming line. This causes the inner line of the Blumlein to rise in voltage to about 700 kV, driving a self-magnetic pinch (SMP) diode to produce a 60-nanosecond X-ray pulse. Currently, the machine design is being refreshed to enhance operability.