GEO MARINE SURVEY SYSTEMS

USER MANUAL
GEO-SPARK 2000XF PPS

2000 Joule
Pulsed Power Supply

By Elbert Kelholt & Ivan de Jong

Revised Jan 2020
Copyright GEO Marine Survey Systems

GEO Marine Survey Systems

Sheffieldstraat 8, 3047 BC Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 10 415 57 55

info@geosys.nl
www.geosys.nl
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CONTENTS

1. Preface ................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1. GEO Marine Survey Systems ........................................................................................... 4

1.2. Confidentiality and Copyright ............................................................................................ 4

1.3. Disclaimer ......................................................................................................................... 4

1.4. Read this Manual .............................................................................................................. 5

1.5. Continuous Improvement .................................................................................................. 5

2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 6

3. Safety Aspects ...................................................................................................................... 7

4. 2000XF Operating Conditions .............................................................................................. 8

4.1. Where to Install ................................................................................................................. 8

4.2. Electrical Operating Requirements.................................................................................... 8

4.3. Temperature, Humidity and Dust ...................................................................................... 9

5. General description of the power supply .......................................................................... 10

5.1. Front panel of 2000XF PPS ............................................................................................ 11

5.2. Rear side of 2000XF plus 5 kJ Capacitor bank (7 kJ configuration) .............................. 12

5.3. Front side of 2000XF plus 5 kJ Capacitor bank (7 kJ configuration) .............................. 13

5.4. Connecting the GeoSpark PPS....................................................................................... 14

5.5. Connecting the Mains Power .......................................................................................... 14

5.6. Connecting the Trigger BNC cable.................................................................................. 14

5.7. Connecting the Sea Ground............................................................................................ 15

5.8. Patch Panel in Cable Reel, Deck lead ............................................................................ 16

5.9. Connecting the deck lead from the patch panel to the power supply ............................... 18

5.10. Safety features of the HV connection box .................................................................... 19

5.11. Operating and Connecting the (optional) 5 kJ Switched Capacitor Bank ..................... 19

6. Operating the 2000XF GEOSPARK PPS ............................................................................ 20

6.1. Powering up .................................................................................................................... 20

6.2. Initializing ........................................................................................................................ 20

6.3. Operation screen ............................................................................................................ 21

6.3.1 State ........................................................................................................................ 21

6.3.2 Charging .................................................................................................................. 22

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6.3.3 Temperature ............................................................................................................ 22

6.3.4 Supply Voltage ........................................................................................................ 22

6.3.5 Capacitance............................................................................................................. 23

6.3.6 Energy ..................................................................................................................... 24

6.4. Starting High Voltage Generation.................................................................................... 25

6.5. Stopping High Voltage Generation .................................................................................. 26

6.6. Powering Down the machine .......................................................................................... 26

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FIGURES

Figure 1: Exhaust Fume Damage ................................................................................................... 9

Figure 2: inside view of 2000XF Power Supply ............................................................................. 10

Figure 3: 2000X Overview Front Panel Controls and Connections ................................................ 11

Figure 4: 2000X Connections at the rear side ............................................................................... 12

Figure 5: Rear Side of 5kJ Switched Capacitor Bank .................................................................... 12

Figure 6: 2000X Overview Front Panel Controls and Connections ................................................ 13

Figure 7: Front Panel of 5kJ Switched Capacitor Bank ................................................................. 13

Figure 8: System Setup................................................................................................................. 14

Figure 9: BNC Trigger from Mini-Trace II to 2000 X PPS .............................................................. 14

Figure 10: Sea ground cable with weight ...................................................................................... 15

Figure 11: Patch Panel in cable reel.............................................................................................. 16

Figure 12: Patch Panel Connections ............................................................................................. 17

Figure 13: HV cable to connection box on Geo-Spark Power Supply ............................................ 18

Figure 14: 2000XF Startup screen ................................................................................................ 20

Figure 15: Operation screen- State ............................................................................................... 21

Figure 16: 2000XF Front Panel Controls …….HV on button ......................................................... 21

Figure 17: Operation screen- Charging,. Temperature ….Mains Voltage ...................................... 22

Figure 18: Operation screen- Increasing Decreasing Capacitance ................................................ 23

Figure 19: Operation screen- Command Buttons .......................................................................... 23

Figure 20: Operation screen- Charging,. Temperature ….Mains Voltage ...................................... 24

Figure 21: Example of discharge pulse measured with Rogowski coil ........................................... 24

Figure 22: Standby Screen ........................................................................................................... 25

Figure 23: High Voltage ON .......................................................................................................... 25

Figure 24: Stop Screen ................................................................................................................. 26

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1. PREFACE

1.1. GEO Marine Survey Systems

GEO Marine Survey Systems manufactures a wide range of innovative systems that can acquire
very high resolution (VHR) seismic data:

 Geo-Spark Solid-state pulsed power supplies (PPS) (1000 to 16 000 Joules)

 Geo-Source Multi-tip sparker sources (200 to 1600 tips)
 Geo-Boomer New generation boomers (300 to 500 Joules)
 Geo-Sense Single and multi-channel streamers (1 to 48 channels)

Our systems are:

 created by the drive to innovate;
 inspired by extensive field experience;
 built to last using top quality components and no-nonsense engineering;

1.2. Confidentiality and Copyright

This manual is issued by GEO Marine Survey Systems as an Uncontrolled Document to:

Name client

City

Country

and concerns specifically the use of:

the Geo-Spark PPS.

All information contained in this manual is confidential and is to be used exclusively by the Client.

Any form of reproduction of this manual, except for internal use by the Client, would be considered a
violation of GEO Marine Survey Systems' copyrights and would therefore affect our support of the
equipment and could also lead to legal action.

1.3. Disclaimer

The technical information, procedures and recommendations contained in this manual are given to
the best of our knowledge.

In view of continuous improvement, the content of this manual has been updated for the relevant
unit. Make sure you have the manual that relates to the unit you are using.

In no circumstances can GEO Marine Survey Systems be held liable for any omission, or erroneous
interpretation or understanding, of the content of this manual, or for any damage or accidents that
are directly or indirectly related to the use of the equipment.
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1.4. Read this Manual

This manual contains important information about operating procedures and precautions that should
be observed to ensure safe and proper use of the equipment. Please read and understand this
manual thoroughly.

Be aware that the use of the source equipment, and especially the operation of the Geo-Spark PPS,
involves high energy output (1000 J to 16 kJ) and high voltages (up to 5600 V) that could be
potentially lethal. Therefore any person involved in the use of this equipment must be aware of the
hazards inherent to the use of high voltage.

Keep the manual in a safe place for quick reference whenever a question arises.

1.5. Continuous Improvement

We welcome all comments that we can use for future improvements.

Please send your remarks, suggestions or questions to:

GEO Marine Survey Systems b.v.

Sheffieldstraat 8

3047 AP Rotterdam, The Netherlands

tel +31 10 41 55 755

info@geosys.nl

www.geosys.nl
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2. INTRODUCTION

A complete GEO Marine Survey Systems ultra hi-res spread comprises the Geo-Spark pulsed power
supply (PPS), the acoustic source (= Geo-Source sparker), the Geo-Sense mini-streamer, and the
Mini-Trace II acquisition / processing system and Geo-Suite Allworks software.

Most major components of the GEO Marine Survey Systems spread, including the Geo-Suite
software, can be interchanged with any other industry-standard equipment. Please ask our technical
support team for further recommendations

The components of the GEO Marine Survey Systems spread usually combine as listed below :

Geo-Spark PPS Geo-Source Sparker Geo-Sense Mini-Streamer

(rated by energy output) (200 etc. = no. of tips; FW = fresh water) + Mini-Trace II recorder
1000 J 200 LW / 200 / 200 FW 8 / 24-element array
2000 J, X model 200 LW / 200 / 200 FW / 400 8 / 24 -element array
7000 J, X model 200 LW / 200 / 200 FW / 400 / 800 8 / 24 -element array
6 kJ 200 /400 / 400 FW / 800 24 -element array
16 kJ 200 / 400 / 400 FW / 800 / 1600 24 / 48 -element array
MOST IMPORTANT
The overall result of VHR seismic profiling involves many other aspects and depends very much on
how you operate the spread. A good towing configuration and an acoustically quiet survey
vessel are the main key factors for good results.
In the Geo-Sense Mini-Streamer User Manual we have given some notes on streamer towing
configuration, source-streamer geometry and vessel noise. Most important Do never tow
streamers from the stern in the middle of the wake of the vessel. Always use a suitable
outrigger to tow the streamer out of the wake. Failing to do so you will have very noisy data
or no data at all……

Each Geo-Spark PPS has a variable energy output range, from 100 J minimum to the rated
maximum that can be used to tune the system for best results according to the local circumstances,
e.g. weather conditions, water depth, and required seabed penetration. Our power supplies use the
patented Preserving Electrode Mode which reduces the wear of the sparker tips to practically zero
(please see the User Manual for the relevant Geo-Spark PPS).

The Geo-Source 200 - 1600-tip sparkers allow you to acquire very high resolution seismic profiles of
the shallow sub-bottom stratigraphy in the salt water environment. We also build the unique
Geo-Source 200 FW & 400 FW models for use in a fresh water environment.
The short strong acoustic pulse of the Geo-Source sparker provides an exceptional combination of
high resolution and deep penetration that generally exceeds the performance of pingers and
boomers.

The Geo-Sense mini-streamer is a very sensitive acoustic receiver with active lengths of 2.3 m for
the 8-element hydrophone array, or 4.6 m for the 24-element array. A 2.3 m active length is usually
sufficient for water depths down to 300 m. For deeper water we recommend the 24-element
mini-streamer. (Please note that we can configure the active lengths according to requirements.)

Mini-Trace II plus Geo-Suite Acquisition software is a fully integrated acquisition / processing

system. The software works in the Windows environment and can record single or dual channel data
with independent triggering

The Geo-Suite Allworks post processing package provides the total solution for processing,
interactive data interpretation and 3 D viewing.
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3. SAFETY ASPECTS

Safe operation of the 2000XF PPS requires strict, and clear rules onboard. All personnel involved in
the operation and handling of the equipment must be informed about the potential HV hazard related
to the power supply, the HV deck cable and the source when in use.

The following basic safety rules must be followed in all circumstances:

NEVER OPERATE THE POWER SUPPLY IF YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED AND HAVE NOT BEEN
FORMALLY ASSIGNED BY THE SURVEY MANAGER.

Moreover, the safe operation of the 2000XF PPS is directly related to the deployment of the source:

NEVER OPERATE THE POWER SUPPLY WITHOUT THE SOURCE BEING CONNECTED AND
DEPLOYED IN THE SEA.

IN ALL OTHER SITUATIONS, I.E. WHEN THE SOURCE IS NOT IN THE WATER, THE POWER
SUPPLY MUST BE SWITCHED OFF AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE MAINS POWER.
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4. 2000XF OPERATING CONDITIONS

4.1. Where to Install

Before installing the 2000XF PPS you must consider the following points.
 You need easy access.
 You do not want unauthorised people nearby -remember it is high voltage equipment which is
potentially dangerous.
 You must install the PS in a horizontal position, preferably on a bench, secure it properly.
 You need space for the patch panel. (only for the Geo-Source 200 LW version)
 You want to route the HV deck lead to cable reel as far away as possible from other sensitive
equipment.
 Grounding …You must connect the sea-earth cable to the ground connection.
 When operated on a metal vessel, the ground must be connected to the vessel as well

DO NOT FORGET TO MARK THE SPARKER WORKING AREA WITH THE HV SIGN AND MAKE
SURE THAT EVERYBODY ONBOARD UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS SIGN MEANS.

4.2. Electrical Operating Requirements

Mains power (P + N + PE) Real Neutral required. Consult Installation Manual for details.
Min Max Unit
Voltage (AC) 220 240 V
Frequency 50 60 Hz
Supply Current 16 A

Trigger
Pulse duration 1 ms
Pulse voltage 4 15 V
Pulse current 1 mA
Table 1: Electrical Operating Requirements
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4.3. Temperature, Humidity and Dust

Just as for any electronic instrument that works with high voltages, the relative humidity, temperature
and dust - dirt conditions must be appropriate.

You must consider the following points:

 The 2000XF PPS must always be installed in a clean, dry and cool place.

 Make sure the internal components have adapted to the surrounding temperature. Never
operate the unit when condensation is apparent.

 In case of doubt, use a hot air blower to warm up the unit while you have the fans running

 Never operate the unit in a dusty or dirty environment. This will shorten its lifetime dramatically.
(Dirt particles and, in particular, soot deposits will ultimately lead to HV breakdown. Therefore do
not install the PPS close to exhaust pipes, fumes and other sources of dirt and soot.)

 If you are working in a hot climate, the room where you install the PPS MUST be
air-conditioned.

 We have seen cases where the unit was place next to the generator, sucking up the exhaust
fumes. OBVIOUSLY THIS WILL DESTROY ALL COMPONENTS INSIDE

Figure 1: Exhaust Fume Damage

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5. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE POWER SUPPLY

Figure 2: inside view of 2000XF Power Supply

The Geo-Spark 2000XF PPS is a revolutionary HV power supply based on cutting edge “pulsed
power” technology. The system uses an extremely reliable, state-of-the-art discharge thyristor switch
capable of generating very short (100 - 200 μsec) HV pulses of up to 10 kA at -5.6 kV DC.

All connections, command buttons, switches and status LEDs are on located on the front of the unit
to facilitate direct access and intuitive operation.

The main communication with the machine is via an LCD screen displaying all relevant parameters.

The integrated internal capacitor bank consists of four indestructible capacitors, each of 32 μF, rated
for more than 108 discharges. It can be extended to a 7 kJ configuration by adding the 5 kJ capacitor
bank extension.

The PPS is specially designed to power the Geo-Source multi-tip sparkers in Negative Discharge
Mode. In this patented mode the electrodes have a negative potential with respect to the frame.
There is no other unit commercially available on the world market that provides this advantage.

The Geo-Spark 2000XF has been built in a compact stainless steel inner housing, which is
suspended by 10 rubber silent blocks in a sturdy, high-quality flight case. This suspension system
provides maximum protection against vibrations during transport and operation.

The size of the 2000XF (50 x 55 x 75 cm) and weight (85 kg) allow easy transportation by two
persons even through narrow (>50 cm) passages
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5.1. Front panel of 2000XF PPS

Figure 3: 2000XF Overview Front Panel Controls and Connections

The front contains all commands, LED’s and LCD screen for status messages and settings,
connections for interfacing the PPS to the mains, the trigger and to the Geo-Source Sparker
 P+N+PE 230 -240 V , 50-60 Hz, 16 A Mains connection
 Safety breaker for Power on and Power off
 Note. When switched off, the system will discharge itself by generating one last shot
 Green push button for starting the HV generation
 Red panic button for stopping the HV generation
 BNC trigger input complete with red LED indicating if trigger pulse (=Key) is coming in
 Manual Trigger, black push button
 The main communication with the machine is via the LCD screen.
 The operational settings are via the 4 metal push buttons below the LCD screen
 The LCD screen provides information on Temp, Charging time, Quality of 220 V mains power

The USB connection is currently only used for factory maintenance and upgrading
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5.2. Rear side of 2000XF plus 5 kJ Capacitor bank (7 kJ configuration)

5kJ Extension
Ground Connection

5kJ Extension
Control Connections

5kJ Extension 5kJ Extension

-V Connection 0V Connection

Figure 4: 2000XF Connections at the rear side

-V Connection 0V Connection

Control
Connection

Ground
Connection

Figure 5: Rear Side of 5kJ Switched Capacitor Bank

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5.3. Front side of 2000XF plus 5 kJ Capacitor bank (7 kJ configuration)

High Voltage
On/Off
Connection
Breaker
Box

Ground
CE-Form
Connection
Mains Power
Bolt

Figure 6: 2000XF Overview Front Panel Controls and Connections

2.5 kJ Capacitor Status

Switch Locks
Switches LEDs

Figure 7: Front Panel of 5kJ Switched Capacitor Bank

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5.4. Connecting the GeoSpark PPS

The basic system setup is shown in the scheme below:

Figure 8: System Setup

5.5. Connecting the Mains Power

Apply the mains power (P+N+PE 230 VAC, 16 A, 50-60 Hz) through the Mains Power Cable with
CE-form connector.

5.6. Connecting the Trigger BNC cable

Connect a BNC trigger cable (usually the from “Key out” on the rear of the Mini-Trace II) to the “Key
In” BNC socket of the PPS (see Figure 3 on page 13), using a standard BNC cable. Use a cable out
of one piece if you want to avoid problems !!!!

If you use another acquisition system, make sure the Voltage and Pulse Duration meet the timing
requirements indicated in Table 1 on page 10. Note: the Trigger BNC is completely optically
isolated by means of a fiber optic and is 100 % free of HV interference

Figure 9: BNC Trigger from Mini-Trace II to 2000 X PPS

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5.7. Connecting the Sea Ground

The 8 mm ground stud on the front panel (Figure 2 on page 12) MUST be connected to:
 The Sea Ground. This is supplied with the PPS, and should be put in the water whenever the
machine is deployed. A heavy weight is provided to keep the bare wire below the water
 And (in case of a metal vessel) the metal of the vessel. This is an important safety measure to
eliminate the risk of a dangerous voltage between the machine and the deck, possibly hurting the
operator.
This lead should be as short as possible, should have a wire gauge of at least 2.5 mm 2, and should
be mounted on a clean part of the vessel, (no paint, no dirt, no rust) making sure there is a direct
electrical ground connection between the power supply and the vessel.

Heavy weight

Figure 10: Sea ground cable with weight

Hollow rope with 10 mm2 ground wire

Bare wire section for
contact with sea
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5.8. Patch Panel in Cable Reel, Deck lead

Figure 11: Patch Panel in cable reel

The patch panel is usually integrated in the cable reel. It is built from seawater resistant materials
and is splash proof when properly closed

The Patch panel allows to switch off one, two or three electrode modules, see Geo-Source Sparker
manual for complete explanation.

The two cables from the patch panel connect via the axial connectors on the cable reel to the yellow
deck lead. The 3 m fly leads coming out from the deck lead are clearly color coded

The GREEN -YELLOW fly lead must be connected to the HV 0V POLE. This cable is
connected to the FRAME of the sparker or boomer.

The RED Lead must be connected to the HV MINUS POLE. In the sparker application, the black
(negative) cable connects to the four electrode modules. The brass bridges in the patch panel allow
you to select one, two, three or all four electrode modules.

IN THE SPARKER APPLICATION, AT LEAST ONE ELECTRODE MODULE MUST ALWAYS

BE CONNECTED. IF YOU TRIGGER THE GEO-SPARK POWER SUPPLY WITH NO
ELECTRODE MODULE CONNECTED, YOU WILL DEFINITELY DAMAGE THE MAIN
THYRISTOR SWITCH.

In the boomer application only one lead is connected. The others are not active and must be plugged
off.

WHEN YOU ARE USING A BOOMER, NEVER TRIGGER THE POWER SUPPLY WITHOUT
THE BOOMER CONNECTED AND DEPLOYED IN THE WATER

BEFORE CLOSING THE PATCH PANEL, CHECK IF YOU HAVE CONNECTED ALL THE
CONNECTING BRIDGES PROPERLY …..ALL BOLTS MUST BE TIGHT.

Note, the transparent lid of the patch panel allows to see if all is dry inside and if there are no sparks
due to a loose bolt….
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Figure 12: Patch Panel Connections

There are two places where the "identity" of the four 10 mm2 inner leads of the Power cable may
change:

 at the patch panel / HV cable connection (dry end of the cable)

 at the HV cable / electrode module connection (wet end of the cable)

For the boomer application, it may change at the HV cable / boomer plate connection.

To find out, which bridge is connecting, which lead, simply measure the continuity, after you have
made all the connections.

AGAIN, you must make sure (1) that all connections have been cleaned, (2) that they are free of
corrosion and (3) that the bolts at the various cable eyes and bridges have been firmly tightened.
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5.9. Connecting the deck lead from the patch panel to the power supply

THE CONNECTION OF THE DECK LEAD TO THE HV CONNECTION BOX ON THE 2000XF PPS
IS CRITICAL. STRICTLY ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE.
 Open the lid of the HV connection box on the PPS.

 Unscrew the 8 mm stainless steel bolts plus stainless steel spring washers from the brass
connection poles.

 Introduce both cables from below, while pushing the small internal security lid backwards.

 Put the 8 mm stainless steel bolts plus stainless steel spring washers through the cable eyes and
screw them into the brass poles.

 PUT THE WASHERS BEFORE PASSING THE BOLTS THROUGH THE CABLE EYES

 The GREEN-YELLOW CABLE must be connected to the HV 0 pole located at the LEFT side.

 The RED CABLE must be connected to the HV MINUS pole located at the RIGHT side.

 Screw the 8 mm stainless steel bolts in the threads of the connection poles and tighten them
firmly

The picture below shows the HV connection box with clear instructions engraved inside the lid.
HV 0 V at the left side. This must be connected to the green yellow cable = sparker frame
HV Minus at the right side. This must be connected to the electrode tips

Figure 13: HV cable to connection box on Geo-Spark Power Supply

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WARNING:
 A loose connection will result in sparks and locally melting of the brass connection
poles, and …….costly repairs
 Better check twice and make sure all bolts are tight !!!!!
 Follow the instruction for the sea ground: MUST BE CONNECTED ..to ship..and to sea.
For details please consult the Installation manual.

5.10. Safety features of the HV connection box

The following safety features have been integrated in the HV connection box at the front of the unit.
 The system will only work when the HV connection box is completely closed.

 If someone should open the HV connection box, even partially, during operation then the unit will
automatically switch off. (Note: this kind of action should be considered as sabotage and
penalized accordingly).

 Once the HV connection box has been opened by more than 20 %, both poles (HV 0V and HV
MINUS) will automatically be shorted.

 When the HV is switched off normally by pushing the red stop button, or when the vessel is
suffering a blackout, the unit will automatically generate one last shot to empty the energy stored
in the capacitors.

 The system contains all necessary internal bleed-off resistors to eliminate any possibility of
unwanted charging effects.

5.11. Operating and Connecting the (optional) 5 kJ Switched Capacitor Bank

This involves thee actions, see fig 5 & 6.

1. Connect the capacitors from the extension capacitor bank to the 2000XF by 2 brass strips.
These are bolted to the brass connection points at the rear. Note Contact surfaces must be
perfectly clean and the bolts should be tight.

2. Plug the control jumper into the XLR sockets, one on the 2000 XF and one on the extension
capacitor bank

3. Connect the ground lead to the 2000XF and to the 5 kJ as shown in figure. The ground lead
consists of a green yellow wire with two eyes
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6. OPERATING THE 2000XF GEOSPARK PPS

After the power supply has been properly connected (see previous chapters), the machine can be
switched on.

6.1. Powering up

Initially the breaker is in the 'OFF' position.

OFF ON
position position

After checking all connections, the operator can switch on the machine by toggling the breaker to the
'ON' position.

6.2. Initializing

After the machine has been switched on, the initialization sequence will be started.

The sequence starts with the green 'READY' LED flashing for about 5 seconds.

After this, the LCD display will be activated, showing:

Figure 14: 2000XF Startup screen

This startup screen with the message “testing hardware” will be shown for about ten seconds….

Hereafter, the LCD screen will show the normal operation screen, see next page
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6.3. Operation screen

The normal operation screen consists of 6 sections, which are described below…………

6.3.1 State

Figure 15: Operation screen- State

In this screen section the state and the warnings of the power supply is shown.

If the text reads “Standby” then the machine is ready to enter into the High Voltage “On” mode. This
is achieved by pressing the Green Button (see fig 4) Every other text is actually a warning, which
indicates the reason for the machine not to allow the High Voltage to be switched on.

In the example screen, see above, the state indicates that the connection box is still open.

High Voltage Off

Led

High Voltage Off LCD Display

Button

Menu buttons
USB 1 to 4
Connector
Key LED

High Voltage On
HV on button
Button Manual Key

Status LEDs: Key IN

High Voltage On, CHARGE,READY BNC Connector

Figure 16: 2000XF Front Panel Controls …….HV on button

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6.3.2 Charging

Figure 17: Operation screen- Charging,. Temperature ….Mains Voltage

This screen section informs the user about the Voltage Level and the Charging Time the machine
needed to reach this level.

Since the performance of the HV charger depends on the mains power voltage supplied, a control
loop will adjust the charging time if the desired voltage is not reached.

6.3.3 Temperature

This section shows the temperature of relevant parts of the machine. The temperature of the
IGBT’s and the Transformer Core are monitored independently.

If the temperature of one of the parts rises too high, the machine will shut down automatically.

6.3.4 Supply Voltage

This section shows the variation in the Voltage of the mains supply voltage.

Long mains power cables or a small generator might cause the mains voltage at the machine to drop
when charging starts.

The variation between the minimum and maximum of the Mains Supply Voltage is an indication of
the quality of your mains generator.

Note: When you happen to use a lazy generator, it can be useful to connect an extra load in parallel
to the HV power supply. This will force the generator to come out of its stationary running mode,
because it has to provide energy to this load.
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6.3.5 Capacitance

Figure 18: Operation screen- Increasing Decreasing Capacitance

The total energy delivered to the sparker of the boomer can be calculated from the total capacitance
being discharged, and the voltage they were charged with:

E = ½ C*V2
Where C is the capacitance in Farad, V the charged voltage in Volts, and E the resulting energy in
Joules.

The total capacitance of the 2000XF is selectable (32, 64 or 128 micro Farad),

It can be expanded to 7 kJ in total by adding the switchable 5kJ External Capacitor bank.

If the – and + signs are shown below the internal capacity

The internal capacity, can be increased or

decreased by pressing the metal Menu Buttons
right underneath the + and -- signs.

This can be done online and will change the

Energy output according to the formula above

Figure 19: Operation screen- Command Buttons

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6.3.6 Energy

Based on the formula given in the previous paragraph and the total selected capacitance, the energy
can be adjusted online by changing the Voltage.

Underneath the energy label are – and + signs, and the buttons right underneath these signs
decrease or increase the voltage. The minimum voltage is 2500, the maximum is 5590.

The resulting energy is shown in the Energy window.

Figure 20: Operation screen- Charging,. Temperature ….Mains Voltage

Figure 21: Example of discharge pulse measured with Rogowski coil

(current versus time)
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6.4. Starting High Voltage Generation

If all conditions are OK, the State Window will show 'Standby', indicating the machine is ready to start
generating High Voltage.

Figure 22: Standby Screen

The green “HV On” button can be pressed now:

 The red HV Off LED will turn off
 The green HV On LED will turn on
 The Yellow Charge LED will light up shortly
 After that, the green READY LED will turn on, indicating the machine is waiting for an external or
manual Key signal.

Figure 23: High Voltage ON

The Status in the display will indicate as well that High Voltage now is on
Note that the – and + signs below the internal Capacity have disappeared, indicating it is not
possible to change the internal capacitance while High Voltage is ON.
However, the Voltage can be changed online
 GEO-SPARK 2000XF PPS
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User Manual

6.5. Stopping High Voltage Generation

To stop the generation of High Voltage the red HV Off button must be pressed.
If an error condition occurs during operation, the machine will be stopped automatically.
In either case a last shot is generated, to release the energy still in the capacitors, and this display
will be shown, informing the user why the machine stopped:

Figure 24: Stop Screen

Pressing the button right below the 'continue' label will the normal operation screen will re-appear.

6.6. Powering Down the machine

To stop the machine during High Voltage ON, first the HV OFF button should be pressed to stop
generating high voltage.

After that, or if the machine is already in High Voltage OFF Mode, the breaker on the front panel can
be toggled to the ' OFF position and the system will be disconnected from the mains

It is recommended to keep the PPS connected to the mains for some 30 minutes to keep the fans
running and cool down all components