I need to upgrade the capacitor charging power supply that I am currently using. I am charging large, discharge capacitors with 1960's technology, ie arrays of MOTS and even pole pigs through full wave HV diodes and I am controlling voltage with a huge Variac. The inefficiency is high and due to the tapering current flow, when I am charging above 10kV, the initial inrush current is HUGE. Only by adding HUGE inflow limiting resistors that further decrease efficiency, am I able to avoid blowing the mains.
I do not have the knowledge to construct a resonant or constant current power supply. Even the old medical surplus capacitor charging supplies that appear on eBay only go to 6kV.
Is anyone here willing to design a power supply based on accessible components that I would be happy to construct? Even better, is anyone willing to build such a supply for me? The supply needs to reach 14kV and produce a minimum of 500mA of current. Ripple is irrelevant as it is charging capacitors with a rating well over 20 kV. Duty cycle would be at most 30%. Regulation could be quite loose at around 10%. And, other than the ability to adjust the charging voltage the only other control would be a low voltage(12V DC) on/off input to prevent charging during flash lamp discharge. The unit would not have to be pretty as it will be placed within the structure of a large frame laser.
Of course, I would be willing to pay for this help.