Salvo fire experiments using a 0.60 caliber electromagnetic launcher

Author

Fuller, R.L. ; Kitzmiller, J.R. ; Pratap, S.B. ; Thelen, R.F.

Author_Institution

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

Volume

29

Issue

1

fYear

1993

fDate

1/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

402

Lastpage

406

Abstract

A laboratory-based, small caliber electromagnetic launcher and compulsator power supply is being developed. The goal is to accelerate three 32 g masses to 2 km/s at a 10 Hz firing rate. A 0.60-caliber, series augmented, 1.6 m launcher has been fabricated and tested. The launcher testing utilized the iron core compulsator (ICC) power supply and the 400 kA small-caliber SCR switch. The extended pulse width of the ICC when firing the shorter small caliber launcher would ordinarily lead to a large muzzle arc. Using a muzzle shunt resistor on the augmented launcher can substantially reduce the muzzle arc. The launcher, SCR switch, muzzle shunt resistor, ICC power supply, and autoloader are described. The control apparatus used to synchronize the autoloader, SCR switch, and launcher is also described. Data from several double shots and one triple shot are presented. These data include launcher data, SCR switch data, muzzle shunt resistor current traces, and autoloader performance measurements for firing rates of up to 13.5 Hz

Keywords

electromagnetic launchers; power supplies to apparatus; pulsed power technology; 0.60 caliber electromagnetic launcher; 10 to 13.5 Hz; 2000 m/s; 400 kA; SCR switch; augmented launcher; autoloader performance measurements; autoloader synchroniser; compulsator power supply; iron core compulsator; muzzle shunt resistor; salvo fire experiments; Acceleration; Electromagnetic launching; Fires; Iron; Laboratories; Power supplies; Resistors; Switches; Testing; Thyristors;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.195608

Filename

195608