This thesis provides insight into the different aspects of compulsator design for use with railgun systems. Specifically, the design space is explored for passively compensated, permanent magnet iron-core compulsators. Seven design parameters are varied within a compulsator model developed for the Cal Poly Compulsator (CPCPA). The Matlab code for this model is included within the appendix. Efforts were made to compare and validate this compulsator model to published data from existing systems. The compulsator model was found to match closely with discharge pulse length, but resulted in lower values for peak current and projectile velocity by 50% and 30% respectively when compared to published data.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis provides insight into the different aspects of compulsator design for use with railgun systems. Specifically, the design space is explored for passively compensated, permanent magnet iron-core compulsators. Seven design parameters are varied within a compulsator model developed for the Cal Poly Compulsator (CPCPA). The Matlab code for this model is included within the appendix. Efforts were made to compare and validate this compulsator model to published data from existing systems. The compulsator model was found to match closely with discharge pulse length, but resulted in lower values for peak current and projectile velocity by 50% and 30% respectively when compared to published data.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Macgregor, Collin Taylor"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Kira Abercromby"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:55Z","subjects":["Compulsator Design","Railgun","Engineering Design","Power and Energy"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2013.164"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2013.164","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2013.164","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1082","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Kira Abercromby"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Macgregor, Collin Taylor"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-09-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Compulsator Design","Railgun","Engineering Design","Power and Energy"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1082","10.15368/theses.2013.164"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis provides insight into the different aspects of compulsator design for use with railgun systems. Specifically, the design space is explored for passively compensated, permanent magnet iron-core compulsators. Seven design parameters are varied within a compulsator model developed for the Cal Poly Compulsator (CPCPA). The Matlab code for this model is included within the appendix. Efforts were made to compare and validate this compulsator model to published data from existing systems. The compulsator model was found to match closely with discharge pulse length, but resulted in lower values for peak current and projectile velocity by 50% and 30% respectively when compared to published data.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["System Design Considerations and the Feasibility of Passively Compensated, Permanent Magnet, Iron-Core Compulsators to Power Small Railgun Platforms"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Kira Abercromby"],"dc:creator":["Macgregor, Collin Taylor"],"dc:date.available":["2013-09-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis provides insight into the different aspects of compulsator design for use with railgun systems. Specifically, the design space is explored for passively compensated, permanent magnet iron-core compulsators. Seven design parameters are varied within a compulsator model developed for the Cal Poly Compulsator (CPCPA). The Matlab code for this model is included within the appendix. Efforts were made to compare and validate this compulsator model to published data from existing systems. The compulsator model was found to match closely with discharge pulse length, but resulted in lower values for peak current and projectile velocity by 50% and 30% respectively when compared to published data.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1082","10.15368/theses.2013.164"],"dc:subject":["Compulsator Design","Railgun","Engineering Design","Power and Energy"],"dc:title":["System Design Considerations and the Feasibility of Passively Compensated, Permanent Magnet, Iron-Core Compulsators to Power Small Railgun Platforms"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:55Z"}