US 4,791,850 A · Electromagnetic launching system for long-range guided munitions

Abstract

An Earth-based, rapid-fire, electromagnetic accelerator system is provided for launching multiple hypervelocity nuclear or non-nuclear independently targetable warheads on ballistic trajectories to targets located anywhere on or above the Earth's surface. The warheads are mounted inside a reinforced launching sabot containing a plurality of coaxial superconducting dipole magnets. The sabot is magnetically accelerated to hypervelocities inside a large-bore vacuum tube by sequentially exciting a series of driving coils mounted coaxially along the tube. The sabots are injected into the tube from pre-evacuated storage canisters thereby eliminating the need for an air-lock. Terminal guidance systems allow the warheads to be fired over intercontinental distances to hit small, preselected targets with nearly perfect accuracy. The launch velocities are sufficiently high to enable warheads to also intercept and destroy orbiting satellites moving in space high above the Earth's surface.

Claims60

Dependent claims

A weapon system for launching projectiles within the Earth's atmosphere to distant targets comprising:

a projectile;
an accelerating tube;
means for evacuating said accelerating tube;
an evacuated canister containing said projectile;
means for transferring said projectile from said evacuated canister into said evacuated accelerating tube;
and
means for accelerating said projectile through said evacuated tube by electromagnetic forces to hit a distant target.

4 more elements

A weapon system for launching a projectile through the atmosphere comprising:

a projectile;
an accelerating tube having an entrance and an end;
an air-tight diaphragm mounted over the end of said tube;
an air-tight door mounted adjacent said diaphragm at the end of said tube;
means for introducing said projectile into the entrance of said tube;
means for evacuating the interior of said tube;
means for accelerating said projectile through said tube by electromagnetic force means;
sensing means for automatically sensing when said projectile passes completely through said tube;
door actuator means connected to said sensing means adapted for closing said door mounted at the end of said tube immediately after a projectile is launched in order to maintain a partial vacuum inside said tube after said projectile is launched;
means for automatically mounting another air-tight diaphragm over the end of said tube after said projectile is launched;
means for automatically introducing another projectile into said tube;
and
means for re-evacuating the partially evacuated tube.

10 more elements

A system for launching projectiles repetitively at high velocities within the Earth's atmosphere comprising:

an accelerating tube;
an evacuated air-tight canister;
a projectile mounted inside said evacuated canister;
an air-tight door mounted on the front of said evacuated canister;
an air-tight door mounted on the entrance of said tube;
an air-tight diaphragm mounted on the end of said tube;
means for evacuating said tube;
means for detachably mounting said evacuated canister on said tube such that said canister door and said tube entrance door are in contacting air-tight sealing engagement;
means for opening said canister door and said tube entrance door for providing an evacuated, air-tight passageway between said mounted canister and said evacuated tube;
means for injecting said projectile out of said canister into said tube;
means for closing said tube entrance door after said projectile is injected into said evacuated tube;
an air-tight door mounted at the end of said tube adjacent said diaphragm;
means for opening said air-tight door at the end of said tube before said projectile is launched;
means for accelerating said projectile through said evacuated tube by electromagnetic forces;
means for closing said air-tight door at the end of said tube immediately after said projectile is launched thereby limiting the amount of air that can enter the tube after said projectile is launched;
means for mounting another air-tight diaphragm over the end of said tube;
and
means for detaching the empty canister from the tube entrance and replacing it with a loaded canister so that another projectile can be launched.

15 more elements

A method for launching projectiles repetitively at high velocities through an evacuated tube within the Earth's atmosphere comprising the steps of:

mounting said projectiles inside evacuated, air-tight canisters;
mounting an air-tight door on the front of said canisters;
mounting an air-tight door on the entrance of said tube;
mounting a thin air-tight diaphragm across the end of said tube;
evacuating said tube to a low pressure;
mounting an air-tight canister on said tube such that said canister door and said tube door are in contacting air-tight sealing engagement;
opening said canister door and said tube entrance door for providing an evacuated air-tight passageway between said evacuated canister and said evacuated tube;
injecting the projectile that is inside said mounted canister, into said evacuated tube;
accelerating said projectile through said evacuated tube by means of electromagnetic forces;
closing an air-tight door mounted adjacent said diaphragm immediately after said projectile is launched thereby restricting the amount of air that can enter said tube after said projectile is launched;
re-evacuating said tube after said projectile is launched;
mounting another air-tight diaphragm on the end of said tube;
and
detaching the empty canister from the tube entrance and replacing it with a loaded canister so that another projectile can be launched in a repetitive operation.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electromagnetic launching system for long-range guided munitions

Life of this patent

Electromagnetic launching system for long-range guided munitions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims60