Performance of high-power thomson coil actuator excited by a current pulse train

Abstract

This paper uses FEA simulations to investigate the behaviour of a high-speed, high-power Thomson coil (TC) actuator suitable for HVDC protection applications, when excited by a double discharge. The influence of the resulting pulse train on the amplitude of observed armature vibration is investigated. The significance of the pulse train on the device electrical to mechanical energy conversion efficiency is assessed and compared with the efficiency obtained using the conventional single discharge approach.

Keywords

• discharges (electric)
• finite element analysis
• electromagnetic actuators
• pulsed power supplies
• high-speed Thomson coil actuator
• mechanical energy conversion efficiency
• observed armature vibration
• resulting pulse train
• double discharge
• HVDC protection applications
• high-power Thomson coil actuator
• FEA simulations
• current pulse train