PULSED POWER CONDITIONING FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC LAUNCHER SYSTEMS REQUIRES FAST-ACTING RHEOSTATS (MODULATORS) WITH ENOUGH THERMAL INERTIA TO ABSORB TENS OF MEGAJOULES ADIABATICALLY WITHIN MILLISECONDS, AND ENOUGH COOLING CAPABILITY TO DISSIPATE THE ABSORBED

PULSED POWER CONDITIONING FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC LAUNCHER SYSTEMS REQUIRES FAST-ACTING RHEOSTATS (MODULATORS) WITH ENOUGH THERMAL INERTIA TO ABSORB TENS OF MEGAJOULES ADIABATICALLY WITHIN MILLISECONDS, AND ENOUGH COOLING CAPABILITY TO DISSIPATE THE ABSORBED ENERGY BETWEEN LAUNCHES. ONE UNEXPLORED CLASS OF DEVICES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THIS ARE MODERN VERSIONS OF THE CLASSIC CARBON PILE RHEOSTAT, IN WHICH THE BULK RESISTIVITY OF A LAMINATED OR SINTERED COMPOSITE IS MODULATED RAPIDLY BY THE APPLICATION OF PRESSURE. PHASE I WILL INVESTIGATE RESISTIVITY RANGES AND OPERATING TEMPERATURES ATTAINABLE WITH VARIOUS LAMINATED AND SINTERED COMPOSITES, AND PRACTICAL MEANS FOR MODULATING THE APPLIED PRESSURE MECHANICALLY, HYDRAULICALLY, PIEZOELECTRICALLY AND MAGNETOSTRICTIVELY. PHASE I WILL RESULT IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND TESTING OF A HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED 1 MEGAWATT RHEOSTAT.