OPERATION OF 20 HZ MARX GENERATORS

ON A COMMON ELECTROLYTIC LOAD

IN AN ELECTROPORATION CHAMBER

Martin Sack, Christoph Schultheiss, Hans-Joachim Bluhm and Hans-Guenther Mayer

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany

Martin Kern and Werner Lutz

KEATECH GmbH, Saarstrasse 4, D-68753 Waghaeusel-Kirrlach, Germany

Electroporation of large amounts of biological material is subject of an industrial development project with the goals to save energy and to avoid disadvantages coming up with thermal cell denaturation¹. Electroporation takes place in a water-fruit suspension with embedded electrodes. Electric polarization effects are responsible for the formation of irreversible openings in the cell membranes. Pulsed high electric fields in the order of 10 kV/cm are produced by means of two 7-stage Marx generators (350 kV output voltage, pulse length 1.5 µs, 2 GW, repetition rate 20 Hz). Due to the need of industrial-scale throughput it is necessary to operate several free running generators simultaneously being connected to one electroporation chamber. The paper describes the experiences obtained during development and testing of the device.

1. C. Schultheiss, M. Kern, H.-J. Bluhm and H.-G. Mayer, “Development of an Industrial Electroporation Device”, 25^th International Power Modulator Symposium, June 30- July 3, 2002, pp. 563-566.

The work is supported by BEO, Projektträger Biologie, Energie, Umwelt des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) und des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft (BMWi) der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.