Evaluation of SCRs as Millisecond Switches for Electric Gun Launchers
Abstract
High power semiconductor switches have the potential of meeting the field system requirements for electric gun launchers. The switch will be required to operate at moderate repetition rates and high coulomb capability with a long lifetime and high reliability. EPSD is presently successfully using spark gaps for switching multimegajoule capacitor banks for verification of the design of power switching modules for electric gun launchers. Spark gaps are suitable for laboratory experiments because of their fault tolerance and the engineering experience with high current discharges. Solid state switching for electric gun launchers is feasible but not used for existing systems because of the limited knowledge of the behavior of thyristors at high current densities with high rates of rise of current and the need to stack devices for high voltage hold-off. Since semiconductor technology offers the best alternative for meeting lifetime and reliability requirements EPSD has been investigating SCRs for electric gun launcher applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA637334
Entities
People
- G. Ayres
- Harpreet Singh
- M. Weiner
- R. Fox
- R. Pastore
- S. Schneider
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory