A flexible waveform conditioning strategy of an air-core pulsed alternator

The electro-thermal-chemical gun (ETCG) is considered as the most promising high-tech weaponry. As a new type of pulsed power supply, air-core pulsed alternators concentrate all the functions of energy storage, energy conversion and power conditioning in one machine. It is also easy to condition the output voltage and current waveforms. These advantages make it the promisingly compact power supply system for ETCGs. However, the use of multiphase air-core pulsed alternators as the power supply of ETCGs may give rise to problems such as generating high voltage trigger pulse and providing the proper voltage and current waveforms. According to the special waveforms requirements of ETCGs, a flexible waveform conditioning strategy of an air-core pulsed alternator was proposed. In the initial stage of the discharge process, the two phase windings are connected in series to generate a high voltage pulse to ignite the capillary. After the capillary is ignited, the two phase windings are connected in parallel, at the same time, add the conditioning inductors and control the trigger angles of phase A and phase B. The mathematical model of the two-phase air-core pulsed alternator is established to obtain the basic electromagnetic relationship. Based on the model, the performances of the ETCGs powered by the alternator using new waveform conditioning strategy were analyzed. The results indicate that the new strategy is feasible to provide more flexibility in pulse conditioning than the conventional strategy. All of these will give reference to the system design and optimization of air-core pulsed alternators used for ETCG applications.