Anregen elektrischer Entladungen mit Kurzzeit-Spannungspulsen

The gas discharge is acted on by a first alternating voltage in the range of 500 Hz to 50 kHz, still without triggering the discharge. Individual voltage pulses with considerably shorter rise time are superimposed on the first voltage to trigger the gas discharge. Preferably, the first voltage is very close to the resonance frequency of the oscillation circuit formed of the capacitive untriggered gas discharge and the inductance of a terminal power transmitter. The apparatus for carrying out the method has a switch generator with a first rectifier working at a first frequency, and a transformer (TR1) to generate the first voltage. The apparatus also has a further switch generator to generate the short voltage pulses and to add them to the first voltage. ADVANTAGE - Excites gas discharge as strong capacitive load. Triggers discharge with low loss