High energy imploding liner experiment HEL-1: experimental results

The imploding liner is a cylinder of conducting material through which a current is passed in the longitudinal direction. Interaction of the current with its own magnetic field causes the liner to implode. In August, 1996, a high energy liner experiment (HEL-1) was conducted at the All-Russia Scientific Research Institute (VNIIEF) in Sarov, Russia. A 5 tier 1 meter diameter explosive disk generator provided electrical energy to drive a 48 cm outside diameter, 4 mm thick, aluminum alloy liner having a mass of about 1 kg onto an 11 cm diameter diagnostic package. The purpose of the experiment was to measure performance of the explosive pulse power generator and the heavy imploding liner. Electrical performance diagnostics included inductive (B-dot) probes, Faraday rotation current measurement, Rogowski total current measurement, and voltage probes, flux loss and conductor motion diagnostics included current-joint voltage measurements and motion sensing contact pins. Optical and electrical impact pins, inductive (B-dot) probes, manganin pressure probes, and continuously recording resistance probes in the central measuring unit (CMU) and piezo and manganin pressure probes, optical beam breakers, and inductive probes located in the glide planes were used as liner symmetry and velocity diagnostics. Preliminary analysis of the data indicate that a peak current of more than 100 MA was attained and the liner velocity was between 6.7 km/sec and 7.5 km/sec. Liner kinetic energy was between 22 MJ and 35 MJ.