Magnetic compressive generators using gaseous explosive

A preliminary experimental compression generator for which the normal solid explosive is replaced by mixture 2H2 + O2 at a pressure of 60 bars is described. A coaxial, conducting structure is formed by an aluminium tube of 92 mm external diameter, 6 mm thick, holding the mixture and placed in a conducting carcass (internal diameter 140 mm). An exploding wire placed axially in the tube initiates the explosion which accelerates the tube radially outwards. The magnetic field initially created by the discharge of a capacitor bank through the coaxial structure is thus compressed by the tube. With an initial current of 0.8 MA, we have obtained 4.75 MA, the energy increasing from 10 to 30 kJ. In this structure, which has the minimum possible dimensions for a conclusive result, flux losses of 50 percent have been observed corresponding to theoretical predictions. For larger units a more complex tube structure could be chosen, considerably reducing the losses. With this type of generator, only the tube is destroyed and energies greater than 10 MJ can readily be delivered for a minimum of total cost at a good chemical efficiency. The mixture 2H2 + O2 is produced by electrolysis, avoiding the storage of high energy explosives