Muzzle shunt augmentation of conventional railguns

Conference · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/20.100998· OSTI ID:7272802

Parker, J. V.

Augmentation is a well-known technique for reducing the armature current and hence the armature power dissipation in a plasma armature railgun. In spite of the advantages, no large augmented railguns have been built, primarily due to the mechanical and electrical complexity introduce by the extra conductors required. It is possible to achieve some of the benefits of augmentation in conventional railgun by diverting a fraction {phi} of the input current through a shunt path at the muzzle of the railgun. In particular, the relation between force and armature current is the same as that obtained in an n-turn, series connected augmented railgun with n = 1/(1-{phi}). The price of this simplification is a reduction in electrical efficiency and some additional complexity in the external electrical system. Additions to the electrical system are required to establish the shunt current and to control its magnitude during projectile acceleration. The relationship between muzzle shunt augmentation and conventional series augmentation is developed and various techniques is developed and various techniques for establishing and controlling the shunt current are illustrated with a practical example. 5 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 7272802
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-90-668; CONF-9004136--3; ON: DE90007505
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420200 -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
656003* -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Interactions between Beams & Condensed Matter-- (1987-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
ACCELERATORS
AMPLIFIERS
AUGMENTATION
CERAMICS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
INDUCTION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MODIFICATIONS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PROJECTILES
RAILGUN ACCELERATORS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TESTING
USES
VALIDATION