PACS No: 84.70+p

Explosive-driven magnetic-flux-compression generators have been around since the early 1950s, when they were independently invented in the United States and the Former Soviet Union. Interest in these generators has been cyclic over the years and we appear to be in the upswing of renewed interest, not only in the US and Russia but other countries as well. Therefore, it was decided that it was time to write a tutorial article based upon the experiences of one of the original founders of this technology and a co-author of this paper; that is, C.M. Fowler. In this paper, we will review some of the fundamental ideas behind magnetic flux compression, the types of flux compression generators, their characteristics, and the power conditioning required to make them practical power sources for various loads. Some of their applications will also be presented followed by brief reviews of current university and government/industrial programs.