SCR, GTO or IGBT ?

[Colin Howarth]

Hi,

I'd like to experiment with some pulsed power applications (ie.
capacitor bank 1.2 kV, 1000 uF discharged via a solid state switch
through an inductor). Most circuits I have seen seem to use an SCR.
However I'd like to be able to switch the thing off (before the
capacitor has fully discharged). Would this be easier with a GTO
thyristor or an IGBT?

Thanks,

colin

PS. No comments necessary regarding dangers of high vltages and
inductive kick-back - thanks

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

Colin Howarth <colinDEL@howarth.de> wrote in news:elvgu8$tfd$03$1@news.t-
online.com:

Hi,

I'd like to experiment with some pulsed power applications (ie.
capacitor bank 1.2 kV, 1000 uF discharged via a solid state switch
through an inductor). Most circuits I have seen seem to use an SCR.
However I'd like to be able to switch the thing off (before the
capacitor has fully discharged). Would this be easier with a GTO
thyristor or an IGBT?

Thanks,

colin

PS. No comments necessary regarding dangers of high vltages and
inductive kick-back - thanks

IGBT I think. They're used in laser flash lamp supplies, I think they can
be used as part of a pulse shaping circuit, being able to switch off the
supply as you're wanting to do.

 

IGBT's work well. An output inductor can be useful to limit the di/dt
in case of short circuit on the output; this gives time to measure the
output current and disable the drive to the IGBT when the current gets
to max allowable value; otherwise the peak power dissipation can
QUICKLY destroy the IGBT

 

[JeffM]

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