Steady-field coilgun methods and devices

An electromagnetic coilgun system comprising:

• a barrel including a longitudinally extended bore, a breech end, and a muzzle end;
• and
• a longitudinally extended electrical excitation coil including a first portion arranged circumferentially around the muzzle end of the bore of the barrel and a second portion arranged circumferentially around a discharge region protruding beyond the muzzle end of the bore;
• wherein a) energizing the electrical excitation coil produces a steady-state magnetic field within and around the muzzle end of the bore of the barrel, the steady-state magnetic field extending along a longitudinal axis of the barrel and longitudinally beyond the muzzle end of the barrel, b) a magnetic sabot housing a nonmagnetic projectile is loaded at the breech end of the barrel, c) the magnetic sabot and housed nonmagnetic projectile are fired by magnetically propelling the magnetic sabot and nonmagnetic projectile, along the longitudinal axis of the bore, and d) the magnetic sabot is shed from the nonmagnetic projectile as the magnetic sabot and nonmagnetic projectile are launched from the muzzle end of the bore.

A method for operating an electromagnetic coilgun system, the electromagnetic coilgun system including a barrel and a longitudinally extended electrical excitation coil arranged circumferentially around a bore of the barrel, the method comprising:

• energizing the electrical excitation coil to produce a steady-state magnetic field within and around the bore of the barrel, the steady-state magnetic field extending along a longitudinal axis of the barrel;
• loading the barrel with a magnetic dipole projectile at a breech end of the barrel, the loaded magnetic dipole projectile oriented with a first magnetic dipole moment aligned to a magnetic field orientation of the steady state magnetic field;
• and
• firing the magnetic dipole projectile by magnetically propelling the magnetic dipole along the longitudinal axis of the bore by a magnetic force produced by the steady-state magnetic field within and around the bore of the barrel;
• wherein, at or near a center of the electrical excitation coil, the magnetic dipole moment of the magnetic dipole projectile is flipped to be oriented to a second magnetic dipole moment, 180 degrees opposite to the first magnetic dipole moment and opposite to the magnetic field orientation of the steady state magnetic field, and the magnetic dipole projectile travels continuously from the breech end of the barrel, through the electrical excitation coil and is launched from the muzzle end of the bore of the barrel.