Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) power systems are required to operate at low power for extended periods, yet provide burst power of hundreds of megawatts for up to hundreds of seconds for electromagnetic launchers and various directed energy weapons. These requirements are several orders of magnitude larger than those previously considered for space use. High power levels and the separation between the prime power source and the weapon because of the physical size of each makes the design of the electrical power transmission and distribution system of great significance. Preliminary analyses of SDI power system architectures indicate that power distribution equipment and its thermal control are significant portions of the total spacecraft weight. It appears that proper choice of distribution voltage and conductor material can significantly reduce the total system mass by eliminating all active thermal control systems and allowing conductor temperatures to rise during the engagement. This paper examines several concepts to minimize distribution system weight.
Multimegawatt power distribution considerations
Multimegawatt-Energieverteilung
1986
3 Seiten, 8 Bilder, 1 Tabelle
Conference paper
English