MISSILE DEFENSE APPLICATIONS

ELECTROMAGNETIC GUNS CAN BE USED FOR BALLISTIC MISSLIE DEFENSE (BMD) SYSTEMS, BUT REQUIRE VERY LARGE ENERGY LEVELS THAT CAN BE PULSED REPEATEDLY MANY TIMES A SECOND. POWER SOURCES THAT CAN MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE RARE AND MUST BE AVAILABLE AT RELATIVELY LOW COST. BATTERIES CAN STORE A LARGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY, BUT CANNOT DISCHARGE AT A HIGH ENOUGH RATE FOR THIS APPLICATION. ON THE OTHER HAND,CONVENTIONAL ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS ARE CAPABLE OF DELIVERING HIGH RATE DISCHARGES, BUT THE AMOUNT OF STORED ENERGY IS EXTREMELY LOW. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I OF THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A HIGH RATE, LONG SHELF LIFE ULTRA CAPACITOR AS A POWER SOURCE FOR APPLICATIONS SUCH AS POWER SOURCE FOR APPLICATIONS SUCH AS ELECTROMAGNETIC GUNS.