Driving Parallel Flashlamps with a Compensated Pulsed Alternator

摘要

Test results are given for a prototype Compensated Pulsed Alternator that was operated up to its 5400 rpm design speed. The machine has delivered approximately 140 kilojoules of energy in a single 1.3 millisecond pulse into a load comprising sixteen parallel flashlamps. The energy delivered to the lamps follows a W = (rpm/225) exp 4 scaling law to about 4200 rpm. Beyond that speed, eddy current losses become significant with the present design. New codes are able to model the machine parameters, and the prototype is presently being rebuilt to reduce the high speed losses predicted by the codes and verified by experiment. (ERA citation 05:037435)