Title :
A sequentially switched capacitor bank for an electrothermal gun
Author :
Thornton, E. ; Bearpark, T.
Author_Institution :
British Aerosp., Sowerby Res. Centre, Bristol, UK
Abstract :
Electrothermal guns, using electrical energy as the propellant energy source, offer the possibility of shaping the pressure pulse in a gun barrel. In this paper the capacitor bank for driving the gun´s plasma source is described. Stored energies in the range 10-100 kJ were used and plasma arc impedances of about 0.1 ohms were typical. The required electrical pulse is about 1 ms in duration, but within this timescale it is important to be able to change the pulse shape to observe its effect on the pressure pulse from the plasma
Keywords :
arcs (electric); electromagnetic launchers; plasma devices; power capacitors; power supplies to apparatus; pulse generators; pulsed power technology; switching; 1 ms; 10 to 100 kJ; EM launchers; electrothermal gun; plasma arc impedances; plasma source; power capacitors; pressure pulse; propellant energy source; sequentially switched capacitor bank; shaping;
Conference_Titel :
New Developments in Pulsed Power Technology, IEE Colloquium on
Conference_Location :
London
