will england :: humor : EMP

From xxxxx Fri Aug 14 13:58:23 1998
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 21:45:44 -0400
From: Joe Thompson xxxxx
Subject: Re: The joys of saying "I told you so"

(Peter Gutmann) wrote:

> Think flux compression generator. Only problem is that the typical form    
> factor would take out one or more city blocks rather than a single vehicle.    
> Still, any self-contained 2 meter long device which can produce a 10 terawatt    
> pulse without resorting to any kind of outlandish technology gets my
> respect. 
> If you want more details, do a Dejanews search for the description I
> posted to one of the sci.electronics groups around a year ago.

I hope Peter won't mind me reposting his article... DejaNews sucks enough
to make it slightly non-trivial to find.

----- begin quoted material

Author: Peter Gutmann
Email: xxxxxx
Date: 1997/06/13
Forums: sci.electronics.design 
Message-ID: <5nqa9m$dm5$1@scream.auckland.ac.nz>
Organization: University of Auckland
References: <3392FD8A.46F7@iquest.net> <5n8umo$koh@fridge-nf0.shore.net>
<5nak0e$3ec$1@scream.auckland.ac.nz>

I wrote:

   >>>I need to find a way to snub the pulse that is present after I dump
   >>>a bank of caps totaling 1000uF at 4KV. into a coil. As the field
   >>>collapses a very large pulse is generated which charges the caps    in
   >>>reverse polarity. The pulse is short duration (less than 2mS).
   >>Now that you've told us the purpose is to create a high field to
   >>charge small magnets, it's interesting to play with the various
   >>paramters to momentarily maximize this field.
   >If you *really* wanted to maximise the field, you could try turning
   >the existing setup into a flux compression generator, although it's
   >not really something which you can do in a lab environment where
   >there are things which could be damaged by EMP (and since the FCG
   >uses explosives, it's rather a one-shot affair). If people are
   >interested in the details of these beasties I'll try and dig up some
   >(unclassified) references.

   Here's a quick overview. Note that this almost certainly falls into the 
   impractical/silly category for most people, but it does show what you can do    
   with the right resources and government funding.

   The flux compression generator was first developed in the late 1950's, and is    
   now the subject of extensive research in several countries, with current 
   models being capable of a peak power level in the order of terawatts to tens    
   of terawatts (did I mention that it was unsuitable for use in a lab 
   environment?). An FCG works by using an explosive charge to compress a 
   magnetic field, transferring the energy from the explosive into the magnetic    
   field. A typical FCG looks something like this:

   %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Non-magnetic
   %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% structural jacket
   @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Stator winding

   -------------------------------------------- Copper armature tube
   / ############################################ Explosive core
   \ ############################################
   --------------------------------------------
   Explosive
   lens
   @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
   %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
   %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

   The initial magnetic field is produced by discharging a battery of HV 
   capacitors through the device. When the current peaks, the explosive lens is    
   used to produce a uniform planar explosion wave through the device which 
   compresses the armature against the stator. This forms a short-circuit 
   between the ends of the stator coil, shorting the start current source and 
   trapping the current within the FCG. As the explosive wave travels down the    
   device, it compresses the magnetic field, which slowly ramps up to a maximum    
   just before the device disintegrates. Peak currents are in the tens of 
   mega-amps with peak energies of tens of megajoules. Some references on FCG's    
   are:

   "Production of Very High Magnetic Fields by Implosion", C.Fowler,    W.Garn, 
   R.Caird, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol.31, No.3 (March 1960), p.588.

   "Tests of an Explosive Driven Coaxial Generator", R.Caird, Proceedings    of the 
   5th IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, 1985, p.220.

   "The Mark IX Generator", Proceedings of the 5th IEEE Pulsed Power    Conference, 
   1989, p.475.

   (other pulsed power conference proceedings often have material related to this    
   sort of thing as well). It's interesting to note that the first few papers 
   were published in the early 1960's before the effects of nuclear EMP had been    
   observed much, after this there is an almost complete silence lasting around    
   25 years before newer papers began to appear in the late 1980's. With the 
   winding down of the cold war it is apparently acceptable to talk about this    
   subject again.

   Peter.

----- end quoted material

Am I correct in assuming that detonating this is like a joke[0]? -- Joe

[0] Timing is everything...
   -- 
   Joe Thompson | Tanuki on spammers: "...the freezer is full, and the
   abuse@orion-com.com | body in the bathtub is starting to decompose."
   http://kensey.home.mindspring.com/ : O- He-Who-Grinds-the-Unworthy
   Support evolution! Electrify the gene pool's fence!

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