Abstract: A key task in the development of electromagnetic launchers of solids is to design specialized compact energy storage devices for them. In most papers on electromagnetic launchers, capacitor banks are used as power supplies. Despite known advantages, capacitor banks have low mass, dimension, and power characteristics and hence cannot be used in mobile transportable electromagnetic solid-state launchers. In [1], energy storage devices with Sakhalin pulsed MHD generators [2] were considered. The replacement of the capacitor bank with an MHD generator was motivated by the fact that such generators are compact and autonomous sources of electrical energy, whose specific energy characteristics are many times higher than the characteristics of capacitors. To date, extensive experience in the development and application of transportable MHD generator has been accumulated [3]. This paper discusses the possibility of designing a compact high-power energy storage device based on a pulsed MHD generator for a solid-state rail launcher by combining the functions of multiple amplification of the generator current and inductive energy storage in one device. As such a device, a transformer with a step-up secondary current is used. The load of the MHD generator is the primary winding of the transformer, and its short-circuited secondary winding simultaneously serves as a generator current amplifier and inductive energy storage. Energy accumulation occurs with an increasing current of the generator from the moment of the start of its operation to the moment of reaching its rated power. The parameters of the transformer are calculated assuming that once the desired amount of energy is accumulated in it, the current in the secondary winding reaches the required value and the winding is connected to the launcher by means of a switching device with opening and closing current switches, and the primary winding. It is assumed that by this time, the powder charge burns completely and the generator operation ends. The paper presents examples of calculation of compact energy storage devices using solid propellant fueled MHD generators with an electric power of 10 and 20 MW with an energy of 25 and 50 MJ stored in transformers, respectively, and with a final current of 250 kA in the secondary windings. Their main characteristics, including the energy accumulation times and the consumption and mass charges of the plasma-forming fuel have been determined. The mass and dimensions of the storage devices have been evaluated. The coupled operation of such storage devices and a multi-rail launcher has been studied by mathematical modeling [4]. It has been shown that the proposed design of a compact pulsed energy storage device can provide rapid firing of a sequence of several projectiles in the current interception mode [5]. REFERENCES [1]. A. G. Afonin, V. G. Butov, S. V. Sinyaev, V. A. Solonenko, G. A. Shvetsov, S. V. Stankevich, “Rail Electromagnetic Launchers Powered by Pulsed MHD Generators,” IEEE Trans. On Plasmascience, V. 45, No. 7, pp. 1208–1212, 2017. [2]. E. P.Velikhov, O. G. Matveenko, V. P. Panchenko, A. A Yakushev, et al., “Pulsed MHD power system “Sakhalin”- the world largest solid propellant fueled MHD generator of 500 MW electric power output ,” Proc. 13th Int. Conf. on MHD and HTT, China, Beijing, 1999, Vol.2, pp. 387-398. [3]. R. V. Dogadayev, V. P. Panchenko, E. P. Poluliakh, A. A. Yakushev “A compact MHD installation for generating powerful electric pulses,” Proc. of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Power engineering. 2007. № 4. P. 130-139. [4]. A. E. Poltanov, A. K. Kondratenko et. al. “Multi-Turn Railguns: The Concept Analysis and Experiments,” IEEE Transaction on Magnetics., 2001, V. 37, No. 1, P. 457–461. [5]. A. G. Afonin, V. G. Butov, S. V. Sinyaev, V. A. Solonenko, G. A. Shvetsov, and A. A. Yakushev, “Multirail electromagnetic launcher powered from a pulsed MHD generator,” Journal of Applied Mechanics and Technical Physics, No. 5, pp. 813–822, 2015.

Cite: Afonin A.G. , Butov V.G. , Sinyaev S.V. , Solonenko V.A. , Shvetsov G.A. , Stankevich S.V. , Nosov G.V.
Compact Energy Storage for Electromagnetic Launchers of Solids
19th Electromagnetic Launch Symposium, Saint-Louis, June 18–22, 2018 18-22 Jun 2018