Design of a Model-Scale Air-Core Compulsator

A preliminary design scheme of a model-scale compulsator, which is the heart of the railgun pulse-power system, is provided in this paper. The model-scale air-core compulsator, which can provide considerable energy, power density, and energy density, is the best choice for pulse-power supply of a railgun system equipped to an amphibious assault vehicle. To allow rapid sizing of compulsator systems, it is necessary to present the main first-stage design process which can be used to design systems for advanced applications. Three main aspects during the design of a model-scale compulsator are necessarily presented in this paper: the simulation and calculations of air-core electromagnetic field; the evaluation of extremely high forces imposed during the discharge; and the choice of cooling method of the windings due to the large level of armature current and excitation current. The topology of the model-scale compulsator is chosen. The compulsator has no concrete compensation component, and the excitation winding does the excitation and compensation simultaneously. The design of the model-scale is based on research of a small-scale air-core principle prototype. The feasibility of the technique and machining is also demonstrated. In addition, the main auxiliary components, such as the high-temperature superconducting magnetic bearing and the high-speed brush slip-ring mechanism, are discussed according to the operating conditions.