US Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Corporation

Dennis Pavlik

David Jonathan Hall

James P Kapinski

Thomas Andrew Lemak

David W Ohst

Jack T Gunn

Systems and methods for improving the current pulse from multiple pairs of pulsed alternators used for driving large loads such as an electromagnetic launcher (i.e., 'rail gun') load. Conventional current pulse ripples are reduced by interleaving pulses from multiple pairs of contra-rotating pulsed alternators. Current pulses supplied by different pairs of pulsed alternators are timed so that they are interspersed between one another to provide more pulses for a given launch time. The interleaved current pulses increase the frequency and reduce the magnitude of the ripple on the average load current.

Ripple reduction in electromagnetic launcher current from pulsed alternators

Current state of the art air core homopolar generators employ large time ying magnetic fields (4 Tesla Range). These high fields are required for proper voltage, but also induce significant eddy currents. Use of novel transposed rotor conductors and a novel transposed coil winding reduces these currents to acceptable levels. Furthermore use of a segmented stator current collection system further reduces the flow of eddy currents.

Transposed air core homopolar generator conductors

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Dennis Pavlik