Megawatt Space Power Conditioning, Distribution, and Control Study
Abstract
This study defined appropriate methodologies for conditioning, distribution, and controlling prime electrical power for megawatt level directed and kinetic energy weapons and identified mission critical and mission enabling technologies. The methodology used was: a. Identify candidate payloads, b. Identify candidate power sources, c. Create a system to interconnect the source and load, d. Estimate the weight of the system, and e. Evaluate the selected system against other candidate systems. The key issue identified is the necessity to match the generator to the load with minimum power conditioning equipment. Every additional piece of equipment placed in the power transmission chain adds substantially to the weight. High-voltage transmission is clearly desirable, even though any terminations or exposed parts must be isolated from the space plasma. Only low current (a few hundred amps or less) transmission/ distribution lines lend themselves to being uncooled. Everything higher in current probably requires at least some cooling. Development needs include either a high-voltage generator or an efficient generator/transformer combination that can produce high voltage. This latter combination requires either a high frequency generator, or a light-weight transformer, or both. All of the systems require either ac/dc converters (rectifiers) or dc/dc converters (inverter/rectifiers).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA200442
Entities
People
- W. T. Morgan