Power supply technology for electric guns

Pulsed power supply technology is developing rapidly, and it appears that projected improvements will provide adequately compact components for field-portable applications. Rectified alternators appear to be well suited for long pulses. Compulsators are particularly well-suited for short, high power pulses because compulsators have pulsewidth limitations. The energy density of around 15 kJ/kg required for capacitor-based systems to achieve comparable mass to projected rotating machine-based systems assumes that high energy density batteries are used for energy storage. Intermediate energy storage is very important to all of the systems. Volumetric constraints can only be addressed through design studies where packaging, busbars, thermal management, etc. are included. The advances in pulse power supply technology are important to other devices in addition to electric guns, including fusion devices, microwaves, lasers, and particle beam accelerators.