General Electric Company
HIGH VOLTAGE, CROSS-FIELD, GAS SWITCH AND METHOD OF OPERATION

Abstract:

A high voltage gas switch includes a gas-tight housing containing an ionizable gas at a preselected gas pressure. The gas switch includes a gas-tight housing containing an ionizable gas at a gas pressure selected based upon a Paschen curve for the ionizable gas, where the Paschen curve plots breakdown voltages of the ionizable gas as a function of gas pressure multiplied by grid-to-anode distance, and where values of gas pressure multiplied by grid-to-anode distance increase over at least a portion of the Paschen curve in conjunction with increasing breakdown voltages. The gas switch also includes an anode disposed within the gas-tight housing, a cathode disposed within the gas-tight housing, and a control grid positioned between the anode and the cathode, where the control grid is spaced apart from the anode by a grid-to-anode distance selected based upon a desired operating voltage.