Integrated Thermal Energy Storage in a Power Conductor for Electromagnetic Railguns

The United States Navy is seeking a compact, flexible power conductor capable of handling the high magnitude, high transient pulsed loading required by a Naval Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG.) Very high current levels (up to 6 mega-amps) carried over a compact cross-sectional area will result in significant heating. Mainstream has proposed a solution that minimizes complexity, requires minimal volume, and uses no external power to provide cooling. The transient nature of the loading on the conductor lends itself to cooling by thermal energy storage. In the Phase I effort, Mainstream will use finite element modeling to design a power conductor with an integrated thermal storage system and will experimentally test a scaled prototype. Mainstream"s innovative conductor reduces weight and cost and increases flexibility compared to a standard conductor.