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THE RANCHERO EXPLOSIVE PULSED POWER SYSTEM
James H. Goforth, Walter L. Atchison, Donald E. Bartram, C. Maxwell Fowler,
Jeffrey D. Goettee, Dennis H. Herrera, James C. King, Emmanuel A. Lopez,
Ernesto C. Martinez, Henn Oona, Robert E. Reinovsky, Maurice Sheppard, John Stokes,
Leonard J. Tabaka, David T. Torres,
University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory,
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
Introduction
We are currently developing a high explosive pulsed power system concept that we call
Ranchero. Ranchero systems consist of series-parallel combinations of simultaneously initiated
coaxial magnetic flux compression generators, and are intended to operate in the range from 50
MA to a few hundred MA currents. One example of a Ranchero system is shown in Fig. 1. The
coaxial modules lend themselves to extracting the current output either from one end or along the
generator midplane. We have previously published design considerations related to the different
module configurations,' and in this paper we concentrate on the system that we will use for our
first imploding liner tests, a single module with end output. The module is 1.4-m long and
expands the armature by a factor of two to reach the 30-cm OD stator. Our first heavy liner
implosion experiments will be conducted in the range of 40-50 MA currents. Electrical tests, to
date, have employed high explosive (HE) charges 43-cm long. We have performed tests and
related 1D MIHiD calculations at the 45-MA current level with small loads. From these results, we
determine that we can deliver currents of approximately 50 MA to loads of 8 nH.Armatme Axial Diagnostic
Load Region Access
( Stabr
HE,
AxiallyDetond l
SeriesArature lmcm
Connecin -
Module X6 cu}Figure 1. Ranchero system concept. This system has
two series generators in each of three parallel
branches. As shown, the system requires
-180 kg explosive and needs a helical booster
generator with an additional 50 kg explosive
for very high current operation. The module
currently under development is 140-cm long,
which would increase the total explosive to
250 kg + 50 kg.Single Module Configuration
Figure 2 shows a single Ranchero module with a load similar to one that will be used for our first
liner tests. These tests will provide similar conditions to those available for experiments with our
Atlas capacitor bank facility, which is under construction; and as a result, we are designing loads
of -8 nH to approximate Atlas loads. Opening and closing switches will be located on the
parallel plates at the generator output for experiments in which the load cannot tolerate the long
low-level current pulse that occurs while feeding initial current to the generator.
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Goforth, J.H.; Atchison, W.L. & Bartram, D.E. The Ranchero explosive pulsed power system, article, September 1, 1997; New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc696558/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.