Efficiency of inductive-store energy conversion

The influence of various factors on energy-conversion efficiency is considered for an inductive store supplying an electrodynamic conductor accelerator for the case in which the commutator disconnecting the store charging current is shunted by a nonlinear element with voltage-regulator volt-ampere characteristic. It is shown that there is an optimal relative mass of the accelerated body such that energy conversion efficiency is greatest and there is a monotonic increase in efficiency with decreasing initial inductance of the store, self-inductance of the commutator circuit, and resistances. The efficiency also arises with increasing length of the acceleration system and magnitude of overvoltages across the commutator. Approximate analytic dependences are obtained to describe the acceleration process. The possibility of increasing efficiency through utilization of an inductive energy store based on a transformer circuit is considered.