The authors present results of experiments with a coaxial plasma pulse accelerator (PPA). By discharging a capacitor bank into the PPA, more than 80% of the stored energy could be transferred from the electrical circuit into the plasma. By accelerating masses of 10 g to velocities of 1020 m/s, overall efficiencies of 22% were achieved. A 3 g mass could be accelerated in the same PPA to 2000 m/s; the efficiency decreases in this case to 13%. Some design aspects, the main parameters influencing the energy conversion into the arc discharge, and questions of matching the power supply system to the acceleration process are discussed. The PPA experiments have clearly demonstrated the parameters which influence the efficiency and the final velocity of the accelerated masses as well as their interdependencies. These are: maximum pressure and temperatures the accelerator tolerates; size of the discharge volume and physical properties of the propelling gas and the erosion products; cross-section and length of the barrel; weight of the accelerated mass; initial conditions for mass movement; and power capability of the supply network.
Plasma-pulse-acceleration experiments
Experimente zur Beschleunigung von Projektilen durch Plasmapulse
1987
4 Seiten, 15 Quellen
Conference paper
English
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