Prevention of breakdown behind railgun projectiles

Patent · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7238386

Hawke, R S

An electromagnetic railgun accelerator system, for accelerating projectiles by a plasma arc, introduces a breakdown inhibiting gas into the railgun chamber behind the accelerating projectile. The breakdown inhibiting gas, which absorbs electrons, is a halide or a halide compound such as fluorine or SF[sub 6]. The gas is introduced between the railgun rails after the projectile has passed through inlets in the rails or the projectile; by coating the rails or the projectile with a material which releases the gas after the projectile passes over it; by fabricating the rails or the projectile or insulators out of a material which releases the gas into the portions of the chamber through which the projectile has travelled. The projectile may have a cavity at its rear to control the release of ablation products. 12 figs.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5142962; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-341019
• OSTI ID: 7238386
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 20 Apr 1989
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
RAILGUN ACCELERATORS
DESIGN
ABLATION
BREAKDOWN
SULFUR FLUORIDES
ACCELERATORS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
700411* - Inertial Confinement Devices- (1992-)
450000 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense