Proceedings of IPAC2013, Shanghai, China THPWA022

AN 800kV 30mA LINE-FREQUENCY COCKCROFT-WALTON DC

GENERATOR USING GAS INSULATED TRANSFORMER FOR
RADIATION APPLICATION
Y.H. Liu, M.X. Li, J.L. Zhang, H.L. Guo, S.L. Wang, H.J. Su, W.G Shi, Y.J Yang, Z.H. He,
Y.T. Zhang, D.M. Li
Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, CAS, Shanghai 201800, P.R. China

Abstract structure of the oil-filled transformers and feedthrough

The design and construction of a line-frequency 800 electrical connections between the transformers and
kV Cockcroft-Walton DC generator using gas insulated pressure vessel. In this paper, the design and construction
transformers are described, as well as the motive to of such a Cockcroft-Walton generator will be described,
develop it into radiation application. Several features are some features underlined and initial test results presented.
underlined, preliminary test results of the prototype
presented and some problems encountered discussed. DESIGN DESCRIPTION
A conventional symmetrical Cockcroft-Walton cascade
INTRODUCTION circuit (Fig. 1) with three stages was adopted to produce a
The well-known Cockcroft-Walton generator has been high voltage of 800 kV except that the three stages in the
widely adopted in various applied DC power supplies as two side columns are not identical. A higher capacitance
well as HV DC generator for an accelerator (also known value of 37.5 nF for the capacitor C3’ in the lowest stages
as Cockcroft-Walton accelerator) since its invention by (the first stage) in the two ‘side’ columns was used to
Greinacher in the 1920s [1, 2]. At the early stage of its alleviate oscillating amplitudes on it considering
development, many high voltage generators of this type relatively larger charging/discharging currents in the first
were made but normally air-insulated and thus very large stages, which was thought, primarily based on our past
[3]. Several versions of its improved cascade circuits, experiences, to be helpful in protecting the rectifiers at
various insulation medium and different operating this stage from high voltage transients in the events of
frequency of its driving ac power have been extensively ground faults of the high voltage terminal caused by e.g.
reported to be used in various applied occasions during electrical breakdown in the accelerating tubes. All other
decades of its development since then [4-6]. Despite capacitors including all the capacitors in the central

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all these, Cockcroft-Walton electron accelerators for column have an equal capacitance of 12.5 nF.
industrial applications have seldom been reported all Each capacitor actually comprises of several basic
along and remarkably less dominate nowadays. The most capacitor elements being series or series-parallel
successful instance seems to be a series of Cockcroft- connected and placed in the different layers of a stage.
Walton electron accelerators developed by the Nissin- Each capacitor element has a capacitance of 75 nF and
High Voltage Co., Ltd. in Japan, in which a similar nominal withstanding voltage of 50 kV. Such capacitor
cascade circuit to a symmetrical one was adopted but the elements fabricated of polyester films and aluminum foils
middle capacitor column omitted, compressed gas used have been used on various occasions here and proved to
for insulation, and a medium frequency of 3 kHz of ac be suitable for being used in compressed SF6 gas
input power employed so as to reduce the generator size environment.
as far as possible and the internal impedance. The energy Each rectifier composes of three series-connected 200
range from 1 to 5 MV and the maximum beam power up kV/0.5A rectifier elements available from the market.
to 150 kW could be achieved in such Cockcroft-Walton Voltage dividing resistors and current limiting resistors
systems [7, 8]. were incorporated in each rectifier to equalize the reverse
Inspired by a 1.2 MV 50mA line frequency (50Hz)- voltage drops among the rectifier elements and protect the
driven Cockcroft-Walton electron accelerator developed rectifiers from overcurrent. Simple analysis could
by us in 2007, in which two large oil-filled transformers conclude that a maximum reverse voltage 367 V on the
were used as ac power input, an 800 kV 30 mA line rectifiers happened in the first stage, which was a little
frequency Cockcroft-Walton electron accelerator using more than one half of the nominal withstanding voltage of
gas insulated transformers was designed and constructed. one rectifier.
The use of line frequency as driving source will greatly A current limiting resistor of 720 kȍ was connected
simplify jobs on driving ac power supply and suitable between the high voltage terminal and accelerating tube,
transformers (e.g. for a medium frequency of a few kHz) , which was used to protect the electrical components in the
therefore also be very cost-saving. The gas insulated cascade column from high voltage transients and should
transformers could be directly placed in the same pressure withstand 800 kV voltage in the event of breakdown in
vessel as where the cascade generator was contained, the accelerating tubes.
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which will greatly reduce the system size and costs

further considering the total large size and/or complex
08 Applications of Accelerators ISBN 978-3-95450-122-9
U05 Other Applications 3675
 THPWA022 Proceedings of IPAC2013, Shanghai, China

balanced carefully since a relatively compact structure of

the whole system was also one of our goals. These two
transformers were further supplied by a 400 V voltage
regulator adjacent to the pressure vessel driven by a
stepper motor which was remotely controlled by the
computer to acquire regulated high voltage output of the
cascade generator whenever non-loaded or beam-loaded.
Four isolation transformers with 220/220 turns ratio
and 200 kV insulation voltage each were connected in
series as ac power input to the filament of the electron
gun, a separate transformer with turns ratio of 220:4 was
used as an impedance match between the last isolation
transformer and the filament. The heating power of the
filament was regulated through a SCR(Silicon-controlled
rectifier) circuit integrated in the control cabinet whose
output was connected to the input of the first isolation
transformer.
A chain of high voltage resistors was used not only to
Figure 1: Circuit diagram of the 800kV 30mA
measure high voltage but also as voltage-dividing
Cockcroft-Walton electron accelerators.
resistors to distribute uniformly 800 kV along the corona
Two identical gas insulated transformers of rings surrounding the isolation transformers from top to
130V(RMS)/300mA that will supply the two side bottom. Currents passing through the rectifiers, an
columns with a balanced ac input voltage was designed approximate indication of beam currents while beam-
specially to not only suffice for the cascade generator but loading, were measured by an ammeter connected
also meet the requirement of its use in compressed SF6 between the ‘central point’ of the cascade circuit and the
gas. Its capacity margin, size and structure had to be ground.
c 2013 by JACoW — cc Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC-BY-3.0)

Figure 2: Diagram of the Cockroft-Walton electron accelerator (the scanning magnets and horn not shown):
1-tansformer; 2-side capacitor column; 3-rectifier column; 4-central capacitor column; 5-current-limiting resistor cage;
6-pressure vessel; 7-volatge measurement resistor string; 8-isolation transformer; 9-electrical conductor; 10-corona
rings; 11-accelerating tubes; 12-filament transformer.
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ISBN 978-3-95450-122-9 08 Applications of Accelerators

3676 U05 Other Applications
 Proceedings of IPAC2013, Shanghai, China THPWA022

current at 650 kV could be safely output continuously for

CONSTRUCTION DESCRIPTION about one hour.
A diagram of this Cockroft-Walton accelerator is To investigate the causes of the insufficient high
shown in Fig. 2. The cascade generator and the voltage capability of the system, the SF6 gas was dried by
accelerating tubes are separately housed in the two regenerating alumina in the gas transfer system and
pressure vessels connected by a corrugated pipe, through putting some silica gel in the pressure vessel. After that,
which a hollow conductor is used to transmit the high as high as 900 kV with non-load could be reached and
voltage to the top end of the accelerating tubes. A pair of most of conditioning time was silent nearly without
electric wires in the conductor floating at 800 kV carries sparks. Having validated the system in terms of high
ac power from the last isolation transformer to the voltage, 800 kV/15mA (full load for the system since
filament transformer in the dome of the accelerating tubes. only one transformer left) was tested for an hour, during
The two side capacitor columns, one central capacitor which a few breakdowns in the tubes occurred and the
column and two rectifier columns constitute the main part last one was proved to have damaged the cascade circuit,
of the cascade circuit (only parts of them shown in Fig. 2). including the transformer.
The transverse dimension of the first stages of the two
side capacitor columns has to be larger since each layer DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
has to contain two capacitor elements. As a conventional
Because of its relatively high stored energy in the
practice in high voltage design, voltage-dividing resistors
cascade circuit driven by line frequency, more useful or
and corona rings are incorporated along the capacitor and
potent measures should be taken to protect electrical
rectifier columns.
components in the circuit when the terminal discharges. It
The two heavy gas insulated transformers sit on the
seems necessary and also feasible to improve the structure
vessel floor and are placed just beneath the two side
of the transformers since failure occurred at the same
capacitor columns, which makes electrical connection an
position of the two transformers. Furthermore, effective
easy job. However, the support posts for the two side
methods should be adopted to protect the transformers
capacitor column made of insulation material have to be
from high voltage transient impacts.
used since there usually exists a few hundreds of kilovolts
The transformers have been sent for repairing and the
potential difference between their metal base plates and
cascade circuit restored. More efforts are planned in near
the tank floor (the ground).
future.
The cage containing the current limiting resistors sits
The use of line frequency driving power eliminates
on the 800 kV high voltage platform at the top of the
costs spent on the custom-built medium-frequency
cascade circuit columns. Because of its relatively high
driving power supply and transformers. Compared to

c 2013 by JACoW — cc Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC-BY-3.0)

weight, the isolation transformer assembly has to be hung
dynamitron-like machines, it has a much higher electrical
to the top flange of the pressure vessel, where the
efficiency of around 90%. All these imply that it seems
feedthrough terminals for voltage measurement and
promising to develop it as a good alternative for industrial
filament heating are also located.
electron accelerators below 1 MV as long as the reliability
The power supply vessel is 1.2 m in interior diameter
could be guaranteed.
and about 3.4 m in total height. The two vessels are filled
with compressed SF6 gas at 0.65 MPa. The electrostatic
field calculations on the whole electrode system were REFERENCES
carried out using the Poission Superfish package in the [1] H. Greinacher, Z. Physik 4 (1921) 195.
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an enough margin to the breakdown gradient in the SF6 1932.
gas at 0.65 MPa. [3] Bouwers, A. Kuntke, Z. Technische Physik 18 (1937)
209.
TESTS [4] W. Heilpern, Helvetica Physica Acta 28 (1955).
[5] G. Reinhold, J. Seitz, R. Minkner, Z.
At the beginning of the tests, the terminal voltage with
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[6] G. Reinhold, K. Truempy, J. Bill, IEEE Trans. Nucl.
opened the tank several times to correct a few incorrect
Sci. NS-12 (3) (1965) 288.
connections in the circuit and reprocess the accelerating
[7] K. Mizusawa, J.R. Klempen, I. Sakamoto, M.
tubes, which had been proved to be contaminated and
Suzuki, M. Kashiwagi, Y. Hoshi, Radiat. Phys.
therefore hamper the voltage conditioning. Unfortunately,
Chem. 31 (1–3) (1988) 267.
one of the transformers was damaged by discharge during
[8] S. Uehara, S. Taniguchi, M. Kashiwagi, K.
this period, in which the starting part of its secondary
Mizusawa, I. Sakamoto, Y. Hoshi, K. Tomita, Radiat.
windings appeared to be melted. To continue the tests, we
Phys. Chem. 42 (1–3) (1993) 515.
could only use one side capacitor column so the circuit
become an asymmetrical one. At this point, 15 mA beam
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08 Applications of Accelerators ISBN 978-3-95450-122-9

U05 Other Applications 3677