Operation of a 5-MJ Capacitor Bank for EML Materials Testing

Abstract

Summary form only given. The capacitor bank design previously proposed has been fabricated and tested. The module stores 500 kJ at 11 kV charge, using capacitors and fuses from General Atomics, ABB semiconductors and a custom 80 muH inductor from Stangenes. A circuit model of the banks, using the no greater than values for internal resistance and inductance of the capacitors, predicted 100 kA output at 11 kV charge. The real devices deliver 100 kA at 10.4 kV charge, with 5% bank reversal. Reinforcements were added to prevent deformation at the inductor tabs, and limit the motion of the conductor plates at high current A 5-M.I system has been fabricated and installed, using 10 of these modules, stacked in set of two, and another 5-MJ of modules is in fabrication. All ten of the modules passed testing at 1 kV, and 4 random modules passed testing at 8 kV charge, with a 10 mOmega load. 2 more, equivalent 500-kJ modules are being constructed using other 11 -kV capacitors. Results of the testing and comparison with the initial circuit models will be presented. Results from initial firings into dummy loads at the breech and low power EML launches will also be presented.