7.3 Suggestions for Future Work Research on Mass Driver Two was not fully completed before it was dismantled in the author's absence and funding was terminated. Near the end, the accelerator was made fully operational with two phases of drive coils with recharging and full diagnostics for voltage, current, periods, velocity, etc. New ohmic buckets had been readied and a new higher voltage capacitor bank was nearly fully debugged for operating these ohmic buckets at 500 g's or more. Finally, the decelerator was nearly finished and could have been made operational in two months. Therefore, many of the tests that were to be done (see Appendices I and J) have not taken place but could easily be done if Mass Driver Two were reassembled. Even though the favored mass driver at this time is the pull-only type, many of the tests for a two phase push-pull drive circuit are applicable. Tests that could be done with Mass Driver Two are: a) Continue to compare observed acceleration with calculated values. This will be done with and without guidestrips. Shielding by the guidestrips of the drive force will be experimentally determined for different geometries. b) Continue to measure electrical efficiencies and compare with theoretical values. c) Study the effects of harmonics, mutual coupling between phases, and other effects in drive circuit waveform. d) Measure induced voltages on SCR's and on bucket coils as well as back EMF from bucket motion. e) Measure SCR parameters in the drive circuit, di/dt, dV/dt, on state voltage, peak current, etc. and compare with theoretical values. f) Study bucket oscillations while under acceleration. g) Study bucket stability at the onset of acceleration. h) Study the transition from mechanical support to magnetic levitation. i) Measure the efficiency of return of energy to electrical source during deceleration.
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