Configurable fast transition pulse power supply unit

1 . A system for supplying an energy pulse to a load, the system comprising:

a first power supply unit (PSU);

a second PSU coupled in series with the first PSU;

a pulse switch circuit comprising:

a voltage input coupled with the first PSU and with the second PSU;

a voltage output;

a first switch assembly coupled in series between the first PSU and the voltage output;

a second switch assembly coupled in series between the second PSU and the voltage output; and

a clamp circuit coupled across the voltage output;

a sensor coupled to the load; and

a controller to control the first switch assembly, the second switch assembly, and the clamp circuit based on an input received from the sensor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pulse switch circuit further comprises:

a first capacitor coupled in parallel with the first PSU; and

a second capacitor coupled in parallel with the second PSU.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first switch assembly comprises a pair of controllable switches; and

wherein the second switch assembly comprises a single controllable switch.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein each controllable switch of the pair of controllable switches comprises a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET); and

wherein the single controllable switch comprises a MOSFET.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein a source terminal of a first MOSFET of the pair of controllable switches is coupled in series with a source terminal of a second MOSFET of the pair of controllable switches;

wherein a drain terminal of the first MOSFET is coupled in series with the first PSU; and

wherein a drain terminal of the second MOSFET is coupled in series with the voltage output.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the clamp circuit comprises:

a clamp capacitor;

a first controllable switch coupled between the clamp capacitor and a first output of the voltage output;

a second controllable switch coupled between the clamp capacitor and a second output of the voltage output;

a first diode coupled between the clamp capacitor and the first output;

a second diode coupled between the clamp capacitor and the second output;

a third diode coupled in parallel with the first controllable switch; and

a fourth diode coupled in parallel with the second controllable switch.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to:

turn on the second switch assembly simultaneously with the first and second controllable switches during a first portion of a pulse period; and

in response to signal from the sensor:

turn off the second switch assembly and the first and second controllable switches; and

turn on the first switch assembly during a second portion of the pulse period.

8 . A pulse switch circuit comprising:

a first voltage input comprising a first input terminal configured to receive energy from a first power supply unit (PSU);

a second voltage input comprising an input terminal configured to receive energy from a second PSU;

a voltage output;

a first switch assembly coupled in series between the first input terminal of the first voltage input and the voltage output;

a second switch assembly coupled in series between the input terminal of the second voltage input and the voltage output;

a clamp circuit coupled to the voltage output; and

a controller configured to control the first switch assembly, the second switch assembly, and the clamp circuit to generate an energy pulse to a load.

9 . The pulse switch circuit of claim 8 further comprising:

a second input terminal of the first voltage input;

a first capacitor coupled in parallel between the first and second input terminals of the first voltage input; and

a second capacitor coupled in parallel between the first input terminal of the first voltage input and the input terminal of the second voltage input.

10 . The pulse switch circuit of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first switch assembly into a non-conducting mode and the second switch assembly into a conducting mode during a first portion of a pulse cycle to cause energy stored in the first capacitor and in the second capacitor to be supplied to the voltage output in series.

11 . The pulse switch circuit of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first switch assembly into a conducting mode and the second switch assembly into a non-conducting mode during a second portion of the pulse cycle to cause energy supplied to the first input terminal from the first PSU to be supplied to the voltage output and to prevent energy supplied to the input terminal of the second voltage input from the second PSU from being supplied to the voltage output.

12 . The pulse switch circuit of claim 11 , wherein the clamp circuit comprises:

a clamp switch assembly coupled in parallel between a pair of output terminals of the voltage output and comprising:

a pair of controllable switches; and

a clamp capacitor coupled in series between the pair of controllable switches;

wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the clamp switch assembly into a conducting mode during the first portion of the pulse cycle to cause energy stored in the clamp capacitor to be supplied to the voltage output; and

control the clamp switch assembly into a non-conducting mode during the second portion of the pulse cycle.

13 . The pulse switch circuit of claim 12 , wherein the clamp circuit further comprises:

a first diode coupled between the clamp capacitor and a first output terminal of the pair of output terminals; and

a second diode coupled between the clamp capacitor and a second output terminal of the pair of output terminals;

wherein the controller is further configured to control each of the first switch assembly, the second switch assembly, and the clamp switch assembly into a non-conducting mode during a third portion of the pulse cycle; and

wherein the first and second diodes supply charging energy to the clamp capacitor in response to an energy being supplied to the pair of output terminals during the third portion of the pulse cycle.

14 . The pulse switch circuit of claim 12 , further comprising:

a snubber circuit coupled in parallel with the clamp circuit and comprising:

a snubber resistor; and

a snubber capacitor coupled in series with the snubber resistor.

15 . A method of controlling a pulse switch circuit to generate an energy pulse for a load, the pulse switch circuit comprising a base voltage input, an extender voltage input, a voltage output, a base switch assembly coupled in series between the base voltage input and the voltage output, an extender switch assembly coupled in series between the extender voltage input and the voltage output, a base capacitor, an extender capacitor, a clamp circuit coupled in parallel across the voltage output, and a controller, the method comprising:

controlling the base switch assembly into a non-conducting mode and the extender switch assembly into a conducting mode during a first portion of a pulse cycle to cause energy stored in the base capacitor and in the extender capacitor to be supplied to the voltage output in series;

in response to a first operating condition, controlling the base switch assembly into the conducting mode and the extender switch assembly into the non-conducting mode during a second portion of the pulse cycle to cause energy supplied to the base voltage input via a base power supply unit (base PSU) to be supplied to the voltage output and to prevent energy supplied to the extender voltage input via an extender PSU from being supplied to the voltage output;

in response to a second operating condition, controlling the base switch assembly and the extender switch assembly into the non-conducting mode during a third portion of the pulse cycle; and

storing energy supplied to the voltage output in the clamp circuit during the third portion of the pulse cycle.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first operating condition comprises receiving, via the controller, a signal from a load sensor; and

wherein the signal is configured to indicate a threshold amount of energy reached by the energy supplied to the load from the voltage output via a cable.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second operating condition comprises a time duration of an energy pulse supplied to the load from the voltage output.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the clamp circuit comprises a clamp switch assembly comprising a pair of controllable switches and a clamp capacitor coupled in series between the pair of controllable switches; and

wherein the method further comprises controlling the pair of controllable switches into the conducting mode during the first portion of the pulse cycle to cause energy stored in the clamp capacitor to be supplied to the voltage output.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the clamp circuit further comprises:

a first diode; and

a second diode, wherein the first and second diodes are coupled in series with the clamp capacitor across the voltage output;

wherein storing energy supplied to the voltage output in the clamp circuit during the third portion of the pulse cycle comprises storing the energy in the clamp capacitor.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the base switch assembly into the non-conducting mode and the extender switch assembly into the conducting mode during the first portion of the pulse cycle further causes energy supplied to the extender voltage input by the base PSU and the extender PSU connected in series to be supplied to the voltage output.