A compensated pulsed alternator,[1] also known by the portmanteau compulsator, is a form of power supply.
The compulsator is used like a capacitor, to gather energy from a low-power source and store it, then generate a high-power output for a short period.
This allows the current in the windings to change very rapidly, which is why this "compensation" makes it better at delivering pulses.
One possibility being considered is to build an electric tank using a conventional diesel engine for propulsion and to charge a compulsator.
The compulsator would be used to power a railgun, and potentially other pulsed energy weapons (particularly electronic warfare systems); also, the compulsator could be used in non-pulsed mode to drive a tank with electric motors for limited periods as a kind of "quiet mode", which could be useful in urban combat.