Discussion on Topologies of Quick Response IPPS Suitable for Closed-Loop Control of EML

High energy density makes inductive pulsed power supply (IPPS), a research focus of supplies for electromagnetic launch (EML). However, in existing IPPS topologies, the charging and discharging stages of the inductors cannot be separated, so the response time of IPPS can be as long as ten or even tens of milliseconds. For this reason, the real-time closed-loop control of the output current and muzzle velocity based on IPPS is nearly impossible, which might be one of its biggest drawbacks compared to the capacitive pulsed power supply (CPPS). In this article, a novel current maintainable meat grinder (CMMG) circuit capable of fast response for EML applications is proposed, in which the antiparallel diode can provide a current maintaining path. After the inductor completes its charging process, the current can be maintained for a period of time. Thus, the circuit can be in a hot standby state and can be triggered with a very short delay. Subsequently, two commutation methods for the CMMG circuit are explored. The first one is to introduce the inverse current commutation with semiconductor device (ICCOS) branch. In its experiment with an inductance energy of 22 kJ, the circuit maintains 77% of the charging energy in the first 10 ms and is triggered successfully after 28 ms with almost zero response delay. The second method is the superconducting switching technology, based on which the CMMG with self-shutdown circuit is proposed and simulated.