Robust Power Conversion/Conditioning Technologies for High Power Aircraft Applications

High power pulse weapons have been proposed for decades. Prototype lasers have had some success in destroying surface and airborne targets. High power, high efficiency laser diodes are now available to pump the lasers but they need large amounts of power and energy storage. The instantaneous power loading that these pulsed weapons would demand from the current electrical generation and distribution system (voltage, current, pulse width) cannot be supported. The focus of the Phase II program is the development of innovative high power density, high efficiency power conversion and conditioning technologies to support these high power, low duty cycle applications. The ultimate goal is to buffer the aircrafts generation and distribution system from the effects of high power pulse loads. RCT proposes to use an innovative architecture that will draw constant power from the generator while simultaneously firing the weapon and storing electrical energy in pulse power batteries and/or super capacitors for the next shot. The use of SiC power modules is being considered in order to operate at elevated frequency and temperature, increasing power density, while reducing EMI filter and cooling requirements. RCT will build and test a prototype of the conceptual design developed in Phase I.