Improved modeling of electrically exploded fuse opening switches in flux compression generator experiments

Summary form only given, as follows. A computational model of exploding metallic foil behavior has previously been used to design and analyze a wide range of experiments in which exploding metallic foils and fuse opening switches were driven by the output current of capacitor banks and magnetic flux compression generators. With some caveats, the original model successfully predicted and postdicted observations in experiments where the peak foil current ranged from 1 kA-16 MA and foil conduction times ranged from 200 ns 300 microsec. However, apparent inaccuracies in the constitutive relations (temperature- and density-dependent equations-of-state and electrical resistivity) limited the accuracy of the modeling. Recently developed constitutive property models offer the hope of improved modeling. Using constitutive relations developed in Russia and at Sandia, the CONFUSE code has been used to re-examine the Ranchero and ALT- 1 experiments that used flux compression generators delivering 25-35 MA and 34 MA, respectively, to an electrically exploded fuse opening switch. The results of the modeling are discussed.