Rapid recharging power supply for multiple-hit electrical armor

The Electrical Armor is an energetic type of armor designed to cope with modern threats, specifically designed and most effective against shaped charges. To achieve this without using high explosives the required electrical energy is stored in high-power capacitors to achieve the necessary current amplitude, in the range of some hundreds of kilo amperes. The likely probability of multiple hits within seconds results in considerations about the design of an electric armor module as well as the availability of rapidly providing sufficient electrical energy. Virtually no existing vehicle is able to provide the required electric power of several hundred kilowatts to recharge the capacitors within short time. To overcome this issue a power supply combining a high voltage generator, a unique energy storage device and a pulsed power source was designed. Prior to this work several components, devices and a first system were tested. The paper explains the test results of components and exhibits their influence on the design of a vehicle based system. The basic design of the power supply and its actual technical capability are shown. Additionally some results of the generated gigawatt pulsed power pulses and the recharge-rate are presented. Furthermore a miniaturized energy storage device is shown and future prospects of the system are discussed.