DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Prevention of breakdown behind railgun projectiles

Abstract

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.

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

Citation Formats

Hawke, R S. Prevention of breakdown behind railgun projectiles. United States: N. p., 1992. Web.
Hawke, R S. Prevention of breakdown behind railgun projectiles. United States.
Hawke, R S. Tue . "Prevention of breakdown behind railgun projectiles". United States.
@article{osti_7238386,
title = {Prevention of breakdown behind railgun projectiles},
author = {Hawke, R S},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1992},
month = {9}
}

Patent:
Search for the full text at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Note: You will be redirected to the USPTO site, which may require a pop-up blocker to be deactivated to view the patent. If so, you will need to manually turn off your browser's pop-up blocker, typically found within the browser settings. (See DOE Patents FAQs for more information.)

Save / Share: