Electrical and thermal modeling of railguns

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · IEEE Trans. Magn.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.1984.1063080· OSTI ID:6170914

Kerrisk, J F

Electrical and thermal modeling of railguns at Los Alamos has been done for two purposes: (1) to obtain detailed information about the behavior of specific railgun components such as the rails, and (2) to predict overall performance of railgun tests. Detailed electrical and thermal modeling has concentrated on calculations of the inductance and surface current distribution of long parallel conductors in the high-frequency limit and on calculations of current and thermal diffusion in rails. Inductance calculations for various rail cross sections and for magnetic flux compression generators (MFCG) have been done. Inductance and current distribution results were compared with experimental measurements. Twodimensional calculations of current and thermal diffusion in rail cross sections have been done; predictions of rail heating and melting as a function of rail size and total current have been made. An overall performance model of a railgun and power supply has been developed and used to design tests at Los Alamos. The lumped-parameter circuit model uses results from the detailed inductance and current diffusion calculations along with other circuit component models to predict rail current and projectile acceleration, velocity, and position as a function of time.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
• OSTI ID: 6170914
• Journal Information: IEEE Trans. Magn.; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Magn.; (United States) Vol. MAG-20:2; ISSN IEMGA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
ACCELERATORS
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
HEATING
INDUCTION
LASL
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RAILGUN ACCELERATORS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS