LIQUID HYDROGEN COOLED CONDUCTORS FOR PULSED HIGH POWER APPLICATIONS

THERE ARE NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS WHERE THE THERMAL AND ELECTROMAGNETIC PERFORMANCE OF PURE METAL CONDUCTORS CAN BE APPRECIABLY ENHANCED BY COOLING WITH LIQUID HYDROGEN. ONE SUCH APPLICATION INVOLVES COOPER AND TUNGSTEN CONDUCTORS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC LAUNCH SYSTEMS COMMONLY KNOWN AS RAIL GUNS. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES A NOVEL CONCEPT TO ENHANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF RAIL GUNS BY INCREASIG THEIR EFFICIENCY AND FIRING RATE. THE NOVEL CONCEPT INVOLVES MODIFYING THE DESIGN OF RAIL GUNS BY ADDITION OF MULTIPLE WIRES ATTCHED TO THE RAIL AND COOLED BY IMMERSION IN A CIRCULATING BATH OF LIQUID HYDROGEN. CRYOGENIC COOLING IS ESPECIALLY POWERFUL WITH THIS CONCEPT SINCE THE RE SISTIVE HEATING OF THE RAILS IS REDUCED AND THIS LEADS TO THE IMPROVED EFFICIENCY EXPECTED. IN ADDITION, THE CAPABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY TRANSFER THE ENERGY FROM ELECTRICAL HEATING OF THE RAILS TO THE COOLING SYSTEM LEADS TO THE RAPID MULTIPLE LAUNCH CAPABILITY. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS WORK ARE TO SHOW THAT THE ENERGY INPUT TO THE RAILS FROM THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CRYOGENIC COOLANT IN SHORT TIME PERIODS, AND BURNOUT OF COOPER WIRES ATTACHED TO THE RAILS WILL NOT OCCUR. THIS ANALYTICAL WORK WILL LEAD TO AN EARLY INDICATON OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THE NOVEL CONCEPT.