Integrated 15-kV DC Trigger and Simmer Power Supply for Light Sintering

An integrated full-bridge inverter circuit with fewer components and lower volume is proposed. The conventional light sintering system uses several independent power supplies, each having an input voltage source and inverting component. However, the structure of the proposed circuit comprises only one full-bridge inverter with two separated transformers for applying independent dc trigger and simmer output voltages. The separated transformers are considered to have the same operation switching frequency because of the integrated inverter part. When designing the system, we considered not only matching the switching frequency but also turning-on of the xenon flash lamp. Some of the considerations are as follows: no-load characteristic of the lamp at the initial moment, voltage-boosting effect of the parasitic inductance and capacitance, additional simmer output current path for continuous conduction, and dc trigger turn-off moment when the 15-kV trigger output voltage changes the lamp impedance. Here, the successful results of the aforementioned considerations for applying the light sintering technology are presented. The simulation and no-load experiment waveforms are consistent with the analysis of the effects of the parasitic inductance and capacitance. In addition, the waveforms show 15- and 1.0-kV stable output voltages for the dc trigger and simmer power supplies, respectively. Finally, the xenon flash lamp load is tested, and the integrated system is observed to be functional for single or series-connected lamps.