Design of a homopolar generator for 400 m/s slip ring velocity brush testing

Continued development of homopolar generator (HPG) technology by the Center for Electromechanics at the University of Texas at Austin (CEM-UT) will be aided by the installation of a 400 m/s slip ring velocity, controlled atmosphere, high current HPG for brush testing purposes. This HPG will be rated at 4.6 MJ, 36 V, 1 MA and have the capability of testing actively cooled brushes in varying environments. Inductive and resistive loads will be used for output current pulse shaping with an extensive battery of instrumentation and control equipment available for data collection and evaluation. Operating characteristics, brush testing envelope dimensions, and HPG design parameters are presented. Additional information on component designs and status of fabrication of the HPG is included.