Compact high-voltage generator of primary power based on shock wave depolarization of lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics

The design and performance of a compact explosive-driven high-voltage primary power generator is presented. The generator utilizes a fundamental physical effect-depolarization of ferroelectric materials under longitudinal shock wave impact, when the shock wave is initiated along the polarization vector P. These primary power sources, containing energy-carrying elements made of lead zirconate titanate poled piezoelectric ceramics, with the volume from 0.35 to 3.3 cm(3), are capable of producing pulses of high voltage with amplitudes up to 21.4 kV. The amplitude and full width at half-maximum of the high-voltage pulses are directly proportional to the thickness of the energy-carrying element, with coefficients of proportionality of 3.42+/-0.12 kV/mm (amplitude) and 0.125+/-0.01 mus/mm (width). The specific energy density of these ferroelectric energy-carrying elements reaches 76 mJ/cm(3). (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.