Saturday, October 17, 2009

It occurred to me that export of very fast, very high current, high voltage switching devices (like the one I am currently building) is ITAR controlled, as these are (at least in theory) "dual-use" items.

So all I gotta do is sell it to someone who lives outside the USA, and in fairly short order, Federal Marshals (or FBI? I don't know who acts as the actual law enforcement hand at the end of the DTCC's long arm of the law).

So, ah, yeah... let's not.

(not that I ever had any intention of parting with something I've put so much time and effort into)

"37. Triggered spark-gaps having an anode delay time of 15 µs or less and rated for a peak current of 500 A or more


"38. Modules or assemblies with a fast switching function having anode peak voltage rating greater than 2 kV; anode peak current rating of 500 A or more and turn-on time of 1 µs or less"

3 comments:

Railgap said...

What the hell, blog as mind-map...

# 5: No. Trigger module has to be external to Marx housing.

SHV bulkhead connectors here we come. How much is the pressure rating for the Kings #1704-2? Tom Lynch (rep) via Eclipse Marketing Group to call me back.

This makes the thing more expensive goddammit, but I don't see any way around it.

#6: answer to this derives from answer to #7.

Railgap said...

I wouldn't be able to sell what I am in the process of designing anyway.

To do so would almost certainly violate portions of US patent #5,311,067, which doesn't expire until May 10, 2014.

How did those guys get a patent anyway? Their device derives (as do so many others) directly from the work of David L. Platts at Los Alamos. Perhaps the Secretary of The Navy made a phone call to the USPTO. >:-(

Railgap said...

For the bulkhead SHV connectors, we want Kings/Winchester #1704-2. It's good to 3500 VRMS, 5000 VDC (but short pulse ratings are always much higher) and 50 PSI minimum. $26 ea from Newark. Ouch. There are probably lower prices somewhere. eBay search started. I will need at least two. Grumble.

Pressure. Uh-oh. DWV copper tubing isn't rated for much. ARGHL.
Hah! 4" DWV is good to 150 PSI working gauge for annealed tubing and 250 for drawn.

Turns out it has to withstand a hydrostatic test because standing water in a blocked drain pipe can create significant pressures at the bottom, duh.

Okay, back to not worrying too much about the pressure. Phew.