The ringer: an efficient, high repetition rate circuit for electromagnetic launchers

Author

Giorgi, D. ; Helava, H. ; Lindner, K. ; Long, J. ; Zucker, O.

Author_Institution

Energy Compression Res. Corp., Del Mar, CA, USA

Volume

25

Issue

1

fYear

1989

fDate

1/1/1989 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

203

Lastpage

206

Abstract

The Meatgrinder is an efficient, current-multiplying circuit which can be used to optimize the energy transfer to various electromagnetic gun configurations. The authors present a simple variant of the Meatgrinder circuit which permits a first-order current profiling into the gun and recovery of the inductive energy in the barrel at a high repetition rate. The circuit is basically a one-stage Meatgrinder which utilizes the ringing of the energy storage capacitor (less than 40% reversal) to perform the opening switch function and a solid-state diode as the crowbar switch between the two mutually coupled inductors. With resonant charging, this results in a completely passive, high-repetition-rate electromagnetic-gun power supply. Since most of the barrel energy is recovered, a railgun with negligible muzzle flash can be realized

Keywords

electromagnetic launchers; military systems; Meatgrinder; barrel; crowbar switch; electromagnetic launchers; first-order current profiling; gun; high repetition rate circuit; inductive energy; mutually coupled inductors; opening switch function; resonant charging; ringer; solid-state diode; Coupling circuits; Diodes; Energy exchange; Energy storage; Inductors; Mutual coupling; Solid state circuits; Switched capacitor circuits; Switches; Switching circuits;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.22534

Filename

22534