Time/Date: Thursday, June 23, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Marriott Knoxville Downtown, Ballroom B2- Armstrong
Facilitator: Kyle Peterson, Sandia National Laboratories
Abstract: In the United States, several large-scale pulsed power facility projects are presently in development including the Scorpius multi-pulse radiographic capability, the recapitalization of the Saturn pulsed power accelerator, and the conceptual design of a pulsed power gamma source as part of the Combined Radiation Environments for Survivability Testing (CREST) project. An investment into a Next-Generation Pulsed Power (NGPP) facility, potentially capable of delivering 6-10x the electrical energy of today’s Z Pulsed Power Facility for high-energy density science experiments, is also being considered by the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
In this town hall, we are soliciting input from the broader power modulator and high voltage communities to discuss ongoing challenges and investment needs in pulsed power technologies of interest. For example, investments to improve the underlying pulsed power technologies could be required to reduce the size and/or increase the reliability of selected accelerator architectures. These investments could include new switch designs, high energy density capacitors, insulator flashover/breakdown mitigation, manufacturing methods, electrode material selection, and more. We are also soliciting feedback on increasing partnership opportunities for collaboration with the industrial and academic communities to accomplish these initiatives. As one example, Sandia National Laboratories recently launched the Assured Survivability & Agility with Pulsed Power (ASAP) mission campaign to invest in potential pulsed power science and technologies of interest to these future NNSA capabilities.