High current cable termination for pulsed power applications

摘要

The terminations provide a means for connecting coaxial power cables carrying tens to hundreds of kiloamperes of pulsed current to electrical devices without producing arcing or melting during operation; and also provide mechanical support at cable ends where otherwise unsupported ends would be damaged due to magnetic force acting on current carrying members. To avoid contact arcing (1) the contact supplies mechanical support to the cable at the termination, to prevent magnetic forces from moving the conductor in any direction which would loosen the contact; (2) the connector is installed with sufficient force to meet the a given resistance criterion, and the force is maintained during the expected life of the cable and termination; (3) a smooth, well-defined surface is provided at the surface of the connector where it interfaces with the mating system contact. The mechanical force is provided by use of a hydraulic powered swager which deforms a thick walled connector inward; or by the use of an intense pulsed magnetic force (magnetic swaging) which deforms the conductor inward; or by separating wire bundles and flaring them between two contact surfaces, with contact force provided by use of screws to produce the desired clamping force between two contact surfaces. If hydraulic swaging is used, the deformed conductor is threaded, and a mating threaded sleeve is screwed in place and torqued to high pressure to provide the smooth surface. With magnetic swaging or clamping between two contact surfaces, the connector contact surface remains smooth.