Design of a Self-Excited, Air-Core Compulsator for a Skid-Mounted, Repetitive Fire 9 MJ Railgun System

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Date

1989-01

Authors

Walls, W.A.
Spann, M.L.
Pratap, S.B.
Bresie, D.A.
Brinkman, W.G.
Kitzmiller, J.R.
Herbst, J.D.
Liu, H-P.
Manifold, S.M.
Rech, B.M.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

IEEE

Abstract

The design of a lightweight, compulsator-driven 9-MJ electromagnetic (EM) launcher has been completed and is in the fabrication phase. Scheduled for initial field testing in early 1989, the system will be capable of firing a salvo of nine rounds in three minutes at muzzle velocities between 2.5 and 4.0 km/s. Prime power for the compulsator is supplied by a 5000-hp gas turbine engine through a gearbox and clutch arrangement, and auxiliary power is provided by a small 750-hp turbine. Electrical power generation and pulse conditioning for the launcher are performed by the compulsator, which features a self-excited, air-core magnetic circuit and selectively passive armature compensation designed to minimize peak projectile acceleration. Peak power from the machine is 27 GW, and a total of 30 MJ is extracted from the rotor during each firing of the gun. System mass, including gun, compulsator, prime power, and auxiliary systems, is less than 22 tons and will be mounted on a 36-ton concrete slab which simulates the mass of an armored vehicle on which the system will eventually be integrated

Department

Center for Electromechanics

Description

Keywords

Rotating Machine EM Launch, compulsator, em launcher, armature

LCSH Subject Headings

Citation

W.A. Walls, M.L. Spann, S.B. Pratap, D.A. Bresie, W.G. Brinkman, J.R. Kitzmiller, J.D. Herbst, H-P. Liu, S.M. Manifold, B.M. Rech, “Design of a self-excited, air-core compulsator for a skid-mounted, repetitive fire 9 MJ railgun system,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 25, no. 1, Jan. 1989, pp. 574-579.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/2152/30811

Collections

CEM Publications