52 megajoule electric gun test facility

The Electric Armaments Division at the US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center has constructed an advanced, high-energy, electric gun test facility. A 52 MJ, capacitor-based, pulsed power supply, consisting of 16 individual 3.25 MJ modules, has been installed. Pulse forming networks have been designed to provide appropriate pulses for both electrothermal (ET) and electromagnetic (EM) railgun loads. A 120 mm ET launch fixture has been installed and a 90 mm EM railgun is to be installed in summer 1992. A 900 ft/sup 2/ control and data acquisition center is installed. The layout of the facility, design of the pulse power supply, and configuration of the diagnostic systems are discussed. >