The primary objective in explosive pulsed power research is the development of a compact, explosively driven source to drive an HPM load. This involves the development and optimization of various system components including the magnetic flux compression generator (MFCG) and power conditioning system. Efforts to improve the MFCG are focus on issues such a turn-skipping, armature expansion, stator-armature breakdown, and the effect of manufacturing tolerances on performance. An extensive modeling effort is also underway to better understand the runtime operation of the MFCG and aid in future design iterations. The power conditioning system consists of an inductive store and explosively opening fuse wire switch. A non-explosive test bed has been developed and used in conjunction with computational models to provide a faster opening, more compact, and more reliable fuse design. Additionally, explosively driven ferroelectric generators have also been investigated as potential HPM source drivers.
Dr. Andreas Neuber, Associate Director, AT&T Professor
Dr. James Dickens, Associate Director, C. B. Thornton Professor