Study on the excitation condition of compensated pulsed alternators

The compensated pulsed alternator (CPA) has high energy density and high power density, and can supply repetitive pulse, which can be used as a power supply for a variety of fields including laser and electromagnetic launchers. There are two stages for the operation of the CPA: self-excitation and discharging. It needs to generate an adequate current in the exciting windings as to supply a very large output pulse current when discharging. But it has a condition to realize a successful excitation. A successful excitation is very important for a successfully-designed CPA. This paper will analyze the excitation of the CPA and discuss the condition for successful excitations.