Title :
A 4.5-MJ pulsed power supply for railgun experiments
Author_Institution :
U.S. Army Res. Lab., Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA
Abstract :
A 4.5-MJ capacitor-based pulsed power supply (PPS) has been installed at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, for railgun operations. The system consists of 18 independent modules, each with an energy capacity of 250 kJ. Half of the modules were modified from their original condition to a pulse-forming inductance of approximately 24 /spl mu/H, while the remainder maintained their original 60-/spl mu/H inductance. Another modification included a pneumatic-operated shorting system added to enhance the safety of the system. Simulations were conducted for a variety of load conditions using a Spice-based code. Predicted currents and velocities are in reasonable agreement with measured quantities. The complete system allows the electromagnetic launch of hypervelocity launch packages to a downrange distance of 4 km.
Keywords :
capacitor storage; pulsed power supplies; railguns; 250 kJ; 4 km; 4.5 MJ; Spice-based code; capacitor-based pulsed power supply; currents; downrange distance; electromagnetic launch; energy capacity; hypervelocity launch packages; independent modules; pneumatic-operated shorting system; pulse-forming inductance; railgun experiments; safety enhancement; simulations; velocities; Current measurement; Electromagnetic launching; Electromagnetic measurements; Inductance; Laboratories; Packaging; Pulsed power supplies; Railguns; Safety; Velocity measurement;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2002.805926
