Development of a current collection loss management system for SDI homopolar power supplies

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5285939· OSTI ID:5285939

Hannan, III, W F

High speed, high power density current collection systems have been identified as an enabling technology required to construct homopolar power supplies to meet SDI missions. This work is part of a three-year effort directed towards the analysis, experimental verification, and prototype construction of a current collection system designed to operated continuously at 2 kA/cm{sup 2}, at a rubbing speed of 200 m/s, and with acceptable losses in a space environment. To data, no system has achieved these conditions simultaneously. This is the annual report covering the first year period of performance on DOE contract DE-AC03-86SF16518. Major areas covered include design and construction of a cryogenically-cooled brush test rig, design of a high speed brush test rig, loss analysis of the current collection system, and an application study which defines the air core homopolar construction necessary to achieve the goal of 80--90 kW/kg generator power density. 15 figs.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Research and Development Center
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-86SF16518
• OSTI ID: 5285939
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/16518-T2; ON: DE92000398
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426000 -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450500* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Strategic Defense Initiative-- (1990-)
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
CURRENT DENSITY
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
DESIGN
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
HOMOPOLAR GENERATORS
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POWER GENERATION
POWER SUPPLIES
PROGRESS REPORT
ROTORS
SPACE WEAPONS
TESTING