The energy density of the portable power systems generating the tremendous electric power that fires the U.S. Navy's electromagnetic railguns has been doubled.

The Electromagnetic Systems Group of General Atomics (GA-EMS) reports the development of a new High Energy Pulsed Power Container (HEPPC) with twice the energy density of the existing pulsed power containers (PPC). Each HEPPC includes high-energy pulsed power modules with an energy content of more than 415 kilojoules per module.

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PPCs are huge banks of capacitors or rechargeable batteries packed inside standard ISO containers. Each container has enough energy to discharge 18 kilowatts for each railgun round.

To enable a railgun to fire 10 rounds per minute, a PPC must recharge in seconds. It must also be able to store and discharge the energy in very short time while managing the thermal load generated by the process.

The HEPPC system reduces the number of PPCs required to launch projectiles from a railgun, providing greater flexibility for future Navy and Army railgun applications, said GA-EMS.

What GA-EMS packed into a 10-foot standard shipping container is equivalent to what is currently available in a 20-foot shipping container, doubling the energy density to provide greater flexibility for ship and land-based installations and maneuverability for mobile applications.

"Our next generation HEPPC breaks our own energy density record and exceeds the capabilities of other available railgun pulsed power container solutions," said Nick Bucci, vice president for Missile Defense and Space Systems at GA-EMS.

GA-EMS said it internally funded the development of the HEPPC in support of a Multi-mission Medium Range Railgun Weapons System that integrates pulsed power, launcher, hybrid missile and fire control technologies.

Apart from developing PPCs, GA-EMC is better known as a builder of railguns for the Navy. GA-EMS has developed, built and successfully tested two railguns: the internally funded the Blitzer 3 MJ system and a 32 MJ launcher for the Office of Naval Research.