Superconducting electromagnetic projectile launchers

An electromagnetic projectile launcher comprising:

• a pair of conductive rails mounted parallel to each other in a common plane and including means for permitting a projectile to accelerate thereon:
• a force coil comprising a flat circular coil including outputs connected in parallel to said rails for dumping a first electrical energy onto said rails whereby to launch said projectile along said rails;
• superconducting circuit means for storing a second electrical energy, said superconducting circuit means comprising a pair of Helmholtz superconducting coils which sandwich said force coil inbetween, centered coaxially, but are not electrically conductive to said force coil;
• said Helmholtz coils being electrically coupled to one another and carrying common series current when in the superconductive state;
• said superconducting circuit means including a quenching means for selectively causing said superconducting coils to cease being superconductive, to cause said stored second electrical energy to collapse and induce said first electrical energy within said force coil, whereby said first electrical energy is dumped onto said rails, causing said projectile to be launched, said superconducting circuit means having a resistance in its non-superconducting state that is significantly higher than the resistance of said rails.