Pulsed-Power Driven Metafex Launchers

A conventional electromagnetic (EM) launcher propels a projectile with electromagnetic forces. By contrast, a Metafex launcher contains a dense, initially-inert material, activated by an electrical pulse, that reacts, creating a gas that propels the projectile. Because the reaction energy is four times as energetic as the electrical pulse, the ratio of projectile kinetic energy to electrical energy is much larger for a Metafex launcher than it is for a conventional EM launcher. Conventional EM launchers generally use long rails or barrels to gradually accelerate projectiles and are suitable replacements for entire guns. Metafex launchers are compact, provide rapid acceleration, and are more suitable for flyer plate applications. We have obtained positive test results for Metafex configurations that operate at practical voltages of approximately 20 kV. We describe the outcome of the testing, the potential uses of the material, and the opportunities for development of related pulsed power components such as capacitors and switches that will follow from Metafex commercialization