Dr. Bucur Novac
Professor of Pulsed Power, Loughborough University UK
Lectures
Magnetic Flux-Compression
The lecture covers a brief history, a description of the basic principles and the various applications of the magnetic flux-compression.
A detailed presentation will be made on the complex physics phenomena, such as non-linear magnetic field diffusion coupled to phase transitions that usually accompany any magnetic flux-compression process. The fundamental energy and magnetic flux limitations will be highlighted, together with the basic design principles for the most useful flux-compression systems. A number of useful numerical techniques for simulating magnetic flux-compression will be presented with practical examples provided.
Finally, both electromagnetically-driven and explosively-driven magnetic flux-compression generators will be described in relation to modern applications such as fusion and solid state physics research and defence.
Fast Transient Sensors
The lecture covers a detailed presentation of the main fast transient sensors used in modern pulsed power technology, such as fast transient voltage, current, magnetic field and electric field sensors. Ultrafast B-dot, V-dot and D-dot probes will also be described, together with magneto-optic and electro-optic based photonic sensors.
The lecture will begin with an introduction into both the time and the frequency domain analysis of fast transient impulses and will continue with a detailed presentation of the physical principle that each sensor is based, together with its basic amplitude and bandwidth limitation.
Finally, examples of state-of-the-art design for each type of sensor will be provided and the way the sensor can be implemented into a pulsed power system will be discussed, together with practical advice in order to avoid the most popular errors in handling these delicate and sometimes expensive instruments.
About
Professor Bucur Novac has been awarded an MSc (in 1977) and a PhD (in 1989) both from the University of Bucharest. After graduation he started a scientific career at the Institute of Atomic Physics and in 1993 was promoted to Head of the Plasma Physics Laboratory, having 60 members of staff covering mainly the research domains of plasma focus, tokamak fusion and masers. He joined the then Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Loughborough University UK in October 1998 as a full time Research Associate. Later was promoted as Research Fellow (in 2000), Senior Research Fellow (in 2002), Senior Lecturer (in 2003), Reader (in 2009) and finally full Professor of Pulsed Power in 2011.
Professor Novac is a Voting Member on the Pulsed Power Science and Technology Committee in the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Science Society, the leading forum in the domain. He is also a member of the International Steering Committees for both the MEGAGAUSS Conferences and for the Euro–Asian Pulsed Power Conferences. He is also an Organizing Committee Member of the IEEE International Power Modulator and High Voltage Conference, Co-Chairman of the U.K. Pulsed Power Symposium, Chairman for the IEEE UK Chapter on Industrial Electronics and along the years has chaired a number of international pulsed power conferences in Europe. He is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a Senior Member of the IEEE.
His interests and expertise are in the domain of high-energy pulsed power physics and technology, compact and repetitive pulsed power systems, magnetic flux-compression and applications, high-current, high-power conditioning systems, fast transient and photonic sensors and 2D numerical modeling of pulsed power systems.
Professor Novac has co-authored two books on explosive pulsed power and has published more than 200 refereed papers and conference contributions.