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Why Choose Solid State Technology?

Solid-state technologies offer more potential than conventional gas-powered and oil-powered options. As these technologies become more prevalent, it’s important to know the specific benefits they can generate for your industry and organization. 

At Stangenes Industries, we specialize in creating and developing cutting-edge transformer designs, solid-state modulators, and charging power supplies that can make those benefits a reality. Learn more about how emerging solid-state technology can power your organization’s operations and how our team can help you do it.

What Is Solid State?

Solid-state systems and devices rely on electronics for switching functions, like diodes and transistors, rather than older systems that rely on oil or gas as a power source. Today’s solid-state devices (SSDs) have semiconductors—made from gallium nitride, germanium, silicon, and silicon carbide—that can handle programmable operations and complex functions far beyond the capabilities of the first solid-state systems of the middle of the 20th century. 

These systems are starting to replace older technologies in every sector. In high-voltage systems, for example, organizations are removing thyratrons, spark gaps, and magnetic switches with SSDs like HCTs, IGCTs, IGBTs, and MOSFETs.

Solid-state technology is characterized by:

• Electrical power
• Switching functions performed by diodes and transistors
• The potential to convert from AC to DC by using diodes as rectifiers

Why Is Solid State Better? 

While newer facilities and organizations often start their journey with solid-state technology, many older facilities or operations continue to employ older technologies like pulse forming networks (PFNs), or gas based switches. 

On the surface, sticking with these older technologies can be tempting—making the switch is temporarily inconvenient and can require a lot of readjustments. However, virtually every organization benefits by updating their systems to solid-state technologies and phasing out gas- and oil-powered systems. 

Benefits of Solid-State Technology

Solid-state technology offers more than a change in mechanics. It increases the operational capabilities of systems by increasing power and programmable logic. SSDs are also far more accessible than many alternatives.

Availability

Old, gas-powered modulators used to be the norm in many systems. However, many companies no longer produce these parts, making them harder to find, more expensive to replace, and even harder to repair. This is made even more challenging because old, gas-powered components were also manufactured through processes that are not considered sustainable—the gasses degrade into hazardous component gasses.

SSDs, on the other hand, are rapidly becoming more popular and available, increasing companies’ access to parts, repair systems, and replacement systems on the market. The growing market also allows for companies to source components from multiple sources, which helps shield companies from market fluctuations and product obsolescence. 

Power

While older systems may be more powerful than a single silicone switch, today’s SSDs feature multiple stackable switches that provide comparable power and more reliable performance. The increased market for higher powered switches drives innovation and research to develop even better products with newer materials.

Programmable Logic

Programmable logic is more flexible than previous transistor based logic components, and runs on smaller devices. It uses parameter logic to make computations, and the system grants far more flexibility because different operations and sequences can be programmed in. This is superior to hardwired standard logic, which was far more inflexible.

Other Benefits of SSDs

Other benefits of choosing solid state technology over alternatives include:

• Durability: Solid-state technology is more durable because it doesn’t rely on moving parts that can wear out or fail to connect. While chemical exposure, impact damage, and high levels of heat can damage SSDs, they don’t have the additional long-term vulnerabilities of more conventional technologies.
• Compactness: SSDs also take up less space. Modern solid-state computers are dramatically slimmer than older computers. Similarly, high-energy density, surface-mounted through-hole components like modern diodes and resistors are much smaller than older components, resulting in smaller circuit boards and assemblies. This means more computing power can fit in less space.
• Efficiency: Solid-state equipment wastes less energy in the form of excess heat and light than other technologies. Many systems may still require heat sinks as they generate some excess heat, but more of the input power generates efficient output.

Potential Drawbacks of SSDs

Although SSDs have become increasingly popular due to their smaller size and faster performance, they do have some limitations in high-powered applications.  While most of the electronic world is moving to smaller, faster devices, there is still a need for high-voltage and high-current devices. Currently there is no single device that can fully replace a spark gap or thyratron, only multi-component systems. As more research is put into SSDs, the industry must demonstrate the need for these higher-power devices and invest in researching solutions that can bridge the gap between current SSD capabilities and the demands of high-powered applications. 

Industries That Utilize Solid-State Technology

Solid state technology is used in virtually every sector, from the military to consumer goods. At Stangenes Technologies, we serve the following industries with innovative solid-state solutions:

• Military: We provide military organizations with solid-state modulator systems that include a power rack, a Klystron tank, a modulator cabinet, and a modulator control unit cabinet. 
• Medical: We provide compact Klystron and magnetron solid-state modulators. These are used by medical facilities for direct energy therapies.
• Research: Our engineering team is currently developing replacement solid-state technologies for thyratron switches in pulse-forming networks.
• General Industry: Companies can turn to our solid-state modulators for food decontamination processes, scanning, and more.

Contact Stangenes Technologies for Your Solid State Technology Needs

Upgrading to solid-state technology doesn’t just increase performance and flexibility. It can also help organizations solve the increasing prices and rarity of parts for older systems. Contact the team at Stangenes Technologies to learn more about converting to solid-state technology, or request a quote for more details.

What is Pulsed Power?

Pulsed power is an enabling technology that offers an innovative solution to a wide range of cutting-edge applications. From automotive manufacturing and food processing to military equipment, medical treatments, and more, these short but powerful electrical pulses continue to find new uses across various industries.

At Stangenes Industries, Inc., we are a leading supplier of electromagnetic products, specializing in providing high-quality pulsed power solutions to customers in industries such as medical, military, research, energy, and more. Our high voltage pulse modulators offer reliability and flexibility for applications requiring longer pulse lengths and higher voltages.

What is Pulsed Power?

The science of pulsed power includes the collection of technology, experimental tools, and capabilities that explore concentrations of electrical energy in time and space and how the harnessing of this energy can be applied to multiple applications. To create high energy pulses, low-power electrical energy is stored in a bank of capacitors and released as short pulses with much higher power. The pulse’s duration is increasingly shortened to billionths of a second long. As the pulse is shortened at a steady pace, the power increases, resulting in a very short but potent burst of energy.

In other words, pulsed power involves the creation of short electrical pulses that are associated with very high electrical power, voltages, and current amplitudes. However, since these pulses involve extreme conditions and only provide mere nanoseconds of operation, they cannot be realized by simple printed circuit boards. Pulsed power must be harnessed by high voltage pulse generators, or Marx Generators, to deliver the necessary power for specific applications.

Harnessing Pulsed Power with High Voltage Pulse Generators (Marx Modulators)

For pulsed power to have practical applications, it must have a place to be stored until released. Marx modulators provide this storage and release capacity. These high voltage pulse generators store electrical energy similarly to a battery in banks of capacitors, though on a much greater scale. Marx modulators’ primary purpose is to generate a high-voltage pulse from a low-voltage supply.

Capacitors that are connected and parallel to one another receive charges similarly and are then discharged in series. The Marx modulator consists of the switches that control the parallel charging and series discharge. The stored voltage is multiplied by the number of stages in the generator circuit to determine the output voltage of the generator.

When the capacitors are supplied by a voltage source, they gain charge at the same rate until they are completely charged, without letting a current pass through. The capacitors are triggered by a high-speed switching action, causing stored energy to release simultaneously or in timed series, creating a voltage that is equivalent to the number of stages in the generator. By delaying the release of energy in consecutive stages, the shape of the output pulse can be matched to the desired load.

The effectiveness of Marx Generators gives them a broad appeal for pulse power applications.

Industry Uses for High Voltage Pulse Generators

While generators have been in use for commercial production for many years, steady technological advances have created systems with much greater output voltage, higher reliability, and more effective computer-controlled diagnostics and parameters. As a result, the range of uses for high voltage pulse generators and pulse modulation continues to increase across many industries and applications, including:

• Low-pressure pseudospark

• Electroporation

• UV light protection
• Dielectric barrier discharge
• Atmospheric pressure plasma jets
• Time of flight
• Beam steering
• Q-switches
• Pockels cells
• Microchannel plates
• Acoustic transducers
• Photomultiplier tubes & image intensifiers
• Industrial plasma generation
• X-ray generation for medical diagnostics and treatments

Stangenes’ innovative approach and dedicated team of experts continue to provide advancements for increasingly cutting-edge applications. Tomorrow’s needs fuel Stangenes’ commitment to research and development both now and in the future.

High Voltage Pulse Modulators from Stangenes

Stangenes continually strives to provide the very best in pulse power through our high voltage pulse modulators and has reached a milestone in researching and developing a parallel boost network that provides droop compensation for long pulse applications. This unit can produce a 3.2 kV/3.2 A pulse with greater than 1% stability while persisting for 3.6 ms. This allows for longer pulse lengths with the reliability and flexibility of solid-state switching modulators and is meant as an integration option for an existing 30-stage, 3.8 MW Marx-modulator.

Stangenes also offers three different modulator configurations and combinations, and all of our Marx modulators feature dynamically adjustable repetition rates, pulse widths, and pulse amplitudes. Our most versatile systems use a solid-state Marx design and can be used with or without a coupled pulse transformer. Our high-voltage pulse modulators provide precision control for the optimized application of pulse power.

Stangenes Industries, Inc. is proud to be registered with DQS Inc. as being in compliance with ISO 9001:2015 standards. This achievement demonstrates Stangenes Industries’ commitment to product and service quality as a leader in pulsed power systems.

Stangenes Industries Drives Innovation 

Pulse power harnessed through high voltage pulse generators is an efficient and effective way to provide powerful bursts of energy to benefit many critical applications. The future of Stangenes industries continues to be focused on creating new and innovative designs and developing pulsed power solutions to help solve our customers’ complex challenges.

Our customer base ranges from Fortune 500 firms to start-up companies and everyone in between, and our knowledgeable employees have years of experience to ensure reliable products. To find out how our dedicated team and state-of-the-art technologies can drive your project forward, contact us or request a quote today.