illustrates the piston 26 as an intermediary component utilized to compress a trapped fluid piston 26 could be mechanically connected to the tool to be actuated such arrangement foregoing the trapped fluid chamber in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 the piston 26 is a ratcheting piston this arrangement is selected so that smaller amplitude shockwaves are useable by the actuation tool the piston 26 includes ratchet teeth 30 which engage a ratchet recess 32 through the ratchet arrangement each shockwave generated by capacitor discharge causes an incremental movement of piston 26 is cumulative in effect with respect to piston 26 because of the ratchet arrangement the piston may only move in one direction it is mechanically prevented from moving in the opposite direction thereby such is also cumulative with respect to a fluid 34 that is trapped in recess 32 between surface 36 of piston 26 and surface 38 of piston 40 fluid pressure on piston 40 this could be one or more pistons that may be cylindrical and arranged annularly or may be annular pistons the trapped fluid pressure is not bound to one piston is utilized as is the power charge expansion fluid in the commercially available e 4 in another embodiment the ratchet teeth are not necessary as the frequency of discharge at the electrodes 16 is altered such that pressure in the fluid 18 accumulates at a rate similar to that of a power charge in the prior art e 4 device more specifically the discharge frequency is such that pressure generated in a discharge event is not dissipated as subsequent discharge events are occurring the frequency of pulses is controlled.