A Bipolar Cockcroft-Walton Voltage Multiplier for Gas Lasers

Abstract

A bipolar Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier (CWVM) is proposed as an attractive alternative to the symmetrical Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier for continuous wave gas lasers (e.g. carbon dioxide gas laser). The proposed CWVM formed by combining positive and negative voltage multipliers consisting of equal number of stages and driving in parallel by an ac voltage source. The proposed voltage multiplier needs only one ac power source, therefore there was no need of center taped high voltage transformer, unlike symmetrical voltage multiplier which require center-tape transformer. It possess inherit ability of cancellation of fundamental and higher order odd harmonics of ripple components, unlike the symmetrical CWVM which may generate odd harmonic of ripple in case of any asymmetry of driving voltage. In addition to this the proposed voltage multiplier has faster transient rise and less voltage drop as compared symmetrical CWVM. The experimental and simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of proposed voltage multiplier.