For several years, NASA Lewis Research Center has been studying methods for ballistically launching payloads from the earth's surface. Currently the Center for Electromechanics (CEM-UT) is examining possible electromagnetic railgun launcher systems. The present state of the technology suggests that the homopolar generator-charged energy storage inductor transferring the energy to the launcher via a transfer switch is the yardstick by which alternate systems must be judged. Systems of this type have powered three railguns - the ANU railgun at Canberra, the Westinghouse railgun at Picatinny Arsenal, and the General Dynamics railgun at The University of Texas at Austin. This paper presents observations on the efficiencies of transfer switch schemes as reported by Rioux and Rioux-Damidau and coworkers at the University of Paris, Inall at the Australian National University, Vitkovitsky and coworkers at the Naval Research Laboratory, Marshall at the Australian National University, and CEM-UT. A switch incorporating the advantages of existing switches is presented.
Switching for an earth-to-space rail launcher
Schaltanlage fuer eine Erde-Weltraum-Schienenabschussrampe
1983
3 Seiten, 5 Bilder, 5 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
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