Present and Future Naval Applications for Pulsed Power

Like many industrial organizations, the US Navy is moving away from an era of hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical devices to an era dominated by electromechanical devices and all-electric controls. The Navy is also moving to replace many traditional weapon systems (all of which are chemical and thermodynamic in nature) with directed energy and electric weapons. For these applications there are few, if any, analogies to industrial applications. Some of the electromechanical devices, such as the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and all the electric weapons under development, such as the electromagnetic (EM) railgun and the high-energy laser, require some form of pulsed power and/or pulse forming network. The stored energy necessary to operate these devices may range from tens of kilojoules to several gigajoules, and their instantaneous power may exceed 20 gigawatts. This paper will discuss the options available to provide these energy and power levels and will discuss the research and engineering challenges that need to be overcome for successful operation and fielding.