Testing of a rapid-fire compensated pulsed alternator system

Author

Werst, M.D. ; Perkins, D.E. ; Pratap, S.B. ; Spann, M.L. ; Thelen, R.F.

Author_Institution

Center for Electromech., Texas Univ., Austin, TX, USA

Volume

25

Issue

1

fYear

1989

fDate

1/1/1989 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

599

Lastpage

604

Abstract

A compensated pulsed alternator (compulsator) has been designed and fabricated to drive a rapid-fire railgun system. Initial testing of the compulsator resulted in the failure of the compensation shield at full speed. An ambitious rebuild effort was undertaken, allowing testing to begin in August 1987. Since then, several rapid-fire shots have been performed, firing two 3 m guns at a 60-Hz repetition rate. A 65-g solid armature projectile was accelerated to 1.8 km/s during the initial tests with the compulsator operating at half-speed and reduced excitation. These preliminary results suggest a high probability that the compulsator rapid-fire system will meet and exceed the design goals

Keywords

alternators; attenuators; electromagnetic launchers; power supplies to apparatus; projectiles; pulsed power technology; testing; compensation shield; compulsator; rapid-fire compensated pulsed alternator system; rapid-fire railgun system; rapid-fire shots; solid armature projectile; testing; Alternators; Circuits; Projectiles; Railguns; Rails; Rotors; Solids; Steel; Switches; System testing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.22608

Filename

22608