The high voltage homopolar generator

A limitation of iron-core homopolar generators (HPG) is that the magnetic field strength and thus terminal voltage of the generator is dependent on the saturation limit of the material in the magnetic flux path. The Center for Electromechanics at The University of Texas at Austin (CEM-UT), in cooperation with GA Technologies, Inc. in San Diego, California, has designed and fabricated a 500 V, 500,000 A, 3.25 MJ, air-core pulsed homopolar generator. GA Technologies designed and constructed the 5 T, superconducting, solenoidal field coil. The stator subassembly, consisting of the rotor, bearings, stator, and output current conductors was designed and fabricated at CEM-UT. This experimental machine will be the first pulsed HPG with a superconducting field coil. Aspects of the machine design as well as the machine test program are discussed. Brushgear and bearing performance in high magnetic fields are also covered.