US 5,183,957 AGranted

Method and construction for control of current distribution in railgun armatures

AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System

InventorsWilliam F. Weldon, Herbert H. Woodson, Glen C. Long

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Abstract

An electromagnetic railgun having a layer of low conductivity material along the rails to interface with the armature as the armature is propelled along the rails. The low conductivity material has been found to permit rapid current penetration between the layer and armature, thereby inhibiting undersirable high current density formation along the trailing edge of the armature. Advantageously, inhibiting the high current density formation permits use of a solid armature at velocities exceeding on kilometer per second. Preferably, the layer is composed of graphite or a graphite/copper mixture. A layer of copper or other high conductivity material is preferably laminated to the low conductivity graphite layer to reduce the overall railgun circuit resistance. In the preferred embodiment, the layer of low conductivity material increases in thickness from the breech to the muzzle to decrease railgun circuit resistance.

Claims2

Dependent claims

An electromagnetic railgun comprising:

an electrical power supply;
solid armature means having a leading edge and a trailing edge;
and
rail means having a pair of spaced, juxtaposed rails defining an elongated bore therebetween and operable for receiving the solid armature means along the length of the bore,
the rail means being operably connected to the power supply to provide a current flow path through one of the rails, and into the other rail to propel the solid armature means along the bore in the direction of the leading edge when power is supplied,
the rail means including a layer of a copper and graphite mixture extending along substantially the entire length of the bore for permitting rapid current penetration between the solid armature and layer to inhibit the concentration of current density and eliminate arcing in the region of the trailing end of the solid armature means as the solid armature means is propelled along the bore,
the rail means including a layer of high conductivity material adjacent the layer of copper and graphite mixture and extending substantially the length thereof, the high conductivity material having a conductivity greater than the conductivity of the copper and graphite mixture.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.