Thyratrons are gas-filled switches used for high energy applications, capable of conducting up to 20 kV of power. They are being phased out in high-energy physics research in favor of insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) due to their shorter lifespan, higher energy consumption, and higher cost. Thyristors are a hybrid of thyratron and transistor design used in low- and medium-power environments.
A thyratron is an early form of electronic component and a variation on the vacuum tubes first used in early computers. Originally conceived in 1914 and put into commercial production in 1928, the thyratron is still in use today. It is a form of high energy switch and also acts as a rectifier, capable of converting alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). Unlike standard vacuum tubes, a thyratron is a gas-filled switch, usually containing an inert gas, such as mercury vapor, neon, or xenon gas.
The gas in a thyratron has positive ions that can carry electric current, which makes the device capable of conducting much higher levels of current than a typical vacuum tube. It is not uncommon for one to be able to conduct 10-20 kilovolts (kV) of power. Applications for such devices include use in ultra-high frequency (UHF) television transmitters, nuclear particle accelerators, high-energy laser systems, and radar equipment.
There are also several variants of the thyratron. Krytons, which are also a form of gas-filled tube, are distinguished by employing an arc discharge of electric current instead of gas discharge, and were implemented in radar transmitters used extensively during World War II. Thyristors are a more modern take and are a hybrid of thyratron and transistor design. Based on the standard semiconductor technology used to make microprocessors, the thyristor is used in low- and medium-power environments to also convert alternating current into direct current. These devices are used as switches to control engine speed and chemical operations, such as pressure and temperature changes in equipment.
One of the areas where the thyratron is starting to be phased out is in the arena of high-energy physics research. Their replacement is the insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), another solid-state semiconductor switching device like the thyristor. Early versions of IGBTs were slow and prone to failure when they hit the market in the 1980s, but IGBTs have reached a third generation of design refinement. They now have higher pulse frequencies for switching and are more readily available than thyratrons. Uses for the IGBT are also seen in products such as electric cars and audio amplifiers.
Operating life for the hydrogen-based thyratron is in the range of 1,200 hours, with other designs lasting up to 20,000 hours, while an IGBT will last around 250,000 hours. Energy consumption is also much higher with a thyratron than with an IGBT. Due to import and export restrictions imposed by different nations and the increasing difficulty in obtaining thyratrons, their cost per unit also tends to be significantly higher than using an IGBT for the same application.
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