Re: 12KV Switch
Hello all.
In fact I don't know how yet how dangerous your stuff is...
Because in principle what is dangerous is the current and the time of exposition than the voltage.
If it is a 12KV high voltage generator that can give only 10uA I would say that the generator itself wouldn't be dangerous. On the other hand the capacitances and also transmission lines that could be charged with this voltage could be dangerous.
Values are something like those (depend also on body condition):
1mA - hard disturbance.
4mA - loose conciousneess.
10mA - heart fibrilation, death.
For the switch problem, it would be interesting to know the speed you are working.
There are switchs that can work in such conditions with speed going down to 10 ns. Of course those switchs could surelly be controlled by a microprocessor directly or (most probably) indirectly.
The 2 possibilities I see would be to use:
1- thyratrons (tube)
2 - GTO, IGCT, IGBT, or MOSFET (solid state).
I would propose that you design a solid state switch using the 2nd option, IGBT or MOSFET.
You can easily find very fast high voltage IGBTs or MOSFETs in the market with breakdown voltages going to more than 1200V for single components. There are also combined swithes with breakdown voltages in excess of more than 6.5KV.
OF course you would need to chain a number of switches to get to the desired voltage.
Some simulation will be needed. Also some experiments to see how much parasitic inductance, etc you have. Surely some components would die before you get the final design.....
In my opinion the best alternative would probably be to put abot 13 or 14 cheep IGBTs in series up to your voltage. The internal diodes would help but I believe you would also need some external diodes to handel the parasitic inductances, etc...
Take a look in the attached datasheet to see if it matches your problem (1400V, 70A, IGBT).
Greetings to all.
S.