Compact Pulsed Power Facility

The Compact Pulsed Power Facility (CPPF) at the Institute is one of only two such facilities currently operating in the United States.  The CPPF system is based on technology developed at Sandia National Laboratories (Z Accelerator), and offers a unique, extremely versatile, and optimal approach for characterizing and evaluating dynamic materials response for diverse applications.  Using shockless, high-pressure loading, sample response may be obtained in a single experiment – in significant contrast to traditional shock wave experiments.  The CPPF is particularly useful for examining material response at medium loading rates (104 – 105/s) while maintaining uniaxial strain conditions in the sample.

Loading characteristics include:

• Shockless, high stress loading
• Peak stresses to 20 GPa
• Sample sizes up to 3 cm
• Stress wave risetime ~500 ns
• 2 shots/day, up to 4 samples/shot