Design and testing of a rapid fire, lightweight, ultra stiff railgun for a cannon caliber electromagnetic launcher system

The goal of the Cannon Caliber Program is to drive 185 g integrated launch packages to 1850 m/s. Three, five-round salvos with a firing rate of 5 Hz are intended to defeat specified targets at a range of up to 3 km. After an extensive alternative study, the design team consisting of United Defence F...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on magnetics 1995-01, Vol.31 (1), p.365-370
Main Authors: Werst, M.D., Cook, K.G., Kitzmiller, J.R., Liu, H.P., Price, J.H., Yun, H.D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Boring
Ceramics
Coolants
Cooling
Electromagnetic launching
Fires
Railguns
Rails
Testing
Thermal management
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Summary:The goal of the Cannon Caliber Program is to drive 185 g integrated launch packages to 1850 m/s. Three, five-round salvos with a firing rate of 5 Hz are intended to defeat specified targets at a range of up to 3 km. After an extensive alternative study, the design team consisting of United Defence FMC/BMY, the Center for Electromechanics at The University of Texas at Austin (CEM-UT) and Kaman Electromagnetics Corporation (KEC) has chosen to use an air-core, compensated pulsed alternator (compulsator) to power a rapid fire railgun to accomplish this task. A railgun launcher has been designed to fulfil the rapid fire requirements of the system just described. The design incorporates a directional preloading feature and ceramic sidewalls which combined make the railgun structurally stiff and lightweight. This publication focuses on the design, development and initial testing of the railgun launcher.< >
ISSN:0018-9464
1941-0069
DOI:10.1109/20.364660