Design and Testing of a 10-MJ Electromagnetic Launch Facility

For basic research on electromagnetic launch technology, the Beijing Institute of Special Electromechanical Technology has initiated a program focusing on the design and testing of a 10-MJ electromagnetic launcher facility with the cooperation of Nanjing University and the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The facility will consist of a 10-MJ prime energy, a 6-m-long railgun, and a control system. A 3.2-MJ pulse power unit (PPU) with 32 100-kJ modular PFN units has been completed and tested, and its prime energy can be easily extended to 10 MJ. A 6-m-long railgun has been built, which can be easily cut into a 4-m-long railgun by which many firings have been done with the new PPU. Construction and testing of the whole facility are being continued.