High-voltage gas-discharge current limiter-interrupter using high-density glow discharge

The features of operation of a high-voltage gas-discharge switch device with two control electrodes (grids) are considered. The high-density crossed fields low-pressure glow discharge of magnetron type with a cold cathode is used. The device is able to switch electric current at high voltages in three modes: either in the thyratron mode (as a closing switch), or in the tacitron mode (as a closing/opening switch with controllable current interruption), or as a current limiter-interrupter device (as a tacitron with automatic restriction of maximal value of the anode current in the case of shorted load circuit). Such features of device operation are realized due to small gaps between the microperforated control grids and the anode and employing specific pulse operation modes of the control grids.