A Rapid Fire, Compulsator-Driven Railgun System
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Date
1986-11
Authors
Spann, M.L.
Pratap, S.B.
Brinkman, W.G.
Perkins, D.E.
Thelen, R.F.
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Publisher
IEEE
Abstract
It is becoming clear that compensated pulsed alternators (compulsators) are the preferred power supply for rapid-fire railgun systems. High efficiencies, inherently high repetition rates, and the elimination of high current opening switches are the primary advantages of compulsator-driven systems. The benefits and capabilities of these systems will be demonstrated in a project which is currently in the final stages of fabrication. The goals of this project are to accelerate a burst of ten, 80-g projectiles to 2 km/s at a 60 Hz rate of fire. Details of the compulsator design, the design, fabrication, and testing of system components, and proposed operation are presented.
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Citation
M.L. Spann, S.B. Pratap, W.G. Brinkman, D.E. Perkins, and R.F. Thelen, “A rapid fire, compulsator-driven railgun system,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. Mag-22, no. 6, November 1986, pp. 1753-1756.