Electrochemical Prime Power Supply for a Repetitively Operated High Power Marx Generator
Abstract
The US Navy has a number of ongoing R&D efforts aimed at fielding electrically driven directedenergy (DE) weapon systems in their f"uture fleet [1]. Among the systems being developed areelectromagnetic railguns (EMRG) [2-5], solid state lasers (SSLs) [6-8], and h""igh power microwave(HPM) generators [8-12]. Though each of these DE systems is vastly different from one another,one commonality t"hey share is that each presents a unique electrical load profile to the platformon which it will be deployed. Due to their high pow"er and energy requirements and the transientnature in which they will be used, electrochemical energy storage has emerged as a viab"le powersupply option that will provide reliability while also reducing many of the detrimental impacts theload may have on the platform~s overall power quality [13]. Though it would be ideal to have oneprime power supply that is capable of supplying all of the"se different loads, it is unfeasible due totheir vastly different operational voltages, power and energy requirements, repetition r""ate, andplatform size limitations. These unique requirements make it necessary to carefully consider eachload independently so tha"t an optimum prime power solution can be achieved. There are manyenergy storage technologies available that should be considered in" each application. Among themare thermal batteries, lithium-ion batteries, lead acid batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries,sup""ercapacitors, and lithium-ion capacitors, among others. Like the loads they will power, each ofthe energy storage chemistries liste""d has unique voltage, power, energy, and size limitations thatmust be considered. Further, it has been proposed in some cases that"" the energy storage augmentthe existing platform power to supply the load, rather than be used alone, bringing a whole newset of c""hallenges that must be considered when choosing the right chemistry and properly sizingthe prime power [14-16]. Since 2011, the Uni""versity of Texas at Arlington~s (UTA~s) PulsedPower and Energy Laboratory (PPEL) has been assisting ONR Codes 33 and 35, respective""ly, inthe characterization of energy storage systems for deployment in future shipboard platforms [17 -22]. Through ONR support, t"he PPEL has installed laboratory capabilities that are state of the artfor evaluating and characterizing energy storage devices und"er rates and profiles of interest to theDoD. To date, the PPEL has mostly supported the EMRG and SSL programs which require theene"rgy storage to supply high power while also storing quite substantial amounts of energy. HPMgenerators will operate at a higher repetition rate and require high power but not nearly as muchenergy stored which makes sizing the prime power for this application a l"ittle bit more interesting.It is proposed here that the PPEL assist ONR Code 35 in the research, sizing, and validation of abatter""y prime power system for a compact, repetitive, high voltage Marx generator that will beused to drive an HPM load. Topologies that" utilize energy storage alone will be considered as wellas ones that augment the existing on board generation. An experimentally validated sizing tool willbe produced that ONR can use to optimize the design of a battery prime power supply for highpower/lower en"ergy Marx generator loads. Cells, modules, and full battery topologies will bestudied against load profiles representative of the e""nd applications. The end result will be multiple,experimentally validated prime power supply designs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712847
Entities
People
- David A. Wetz
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Texas at Arlington