ARRADCOM/DARPA compact homopolar generator
Journal Article
·
· IEEE Trans. Magn.; (United States)
If electromagnetic (EM) rail guns are to be used to propel substantial projectiles, large amounts of energy must be delivered in a fast, high-current pulse. Homopolar generators (HPGs) store megajoules (MJ) of energy in the inertia of a flywheel and then electromagnetically convert this energy into megampere (MA) current pulses that typically have a duration between a thousandth of a second and a second. These machines appear to be the most likely power supply for military rail guns, space launchers, and other large EM propulsion schemes. It is concluded that inertial energy storage with homopolar conversion provides the most suitable primary energy store for driving large EM rail guns. An assessment of the state-of-the-art of the various technologies relevant to pulsed HPG design, especially those limiting energy or power density was made. This evaluation concluded that HPG energy and power densities could be substantially improved by eliminating the back iron, which contributes to the mass of the machine but not the stored energy. 5 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Univ of Tex, Austin
- OSTI ID:
- 5083106
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Trans. Magn.; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Magn.; (United States) Vol. MAG-18:1; ISSN IEMGA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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