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

Title: Skirted projectiles for railguns

Abstract

A single skirt projectile (20) having an insulating skirt (22) at its rear, or a dual trailing skirt projectile (30, 40, 50, 60) having an insulating skirt (32, 42, 52, 62) succeeded by an arc extinguishing skirt (34, 44, 54, 64), is accelerated by a railgun accelerator 10 having a pair of parallel conducting rails (1a, 1b) which are separated by insulating wall spacers (11). The insulating skirt (22, 32, 42, 52, 62) includes a plasma channel (38). The arc extinguishing skirt (34, 44, 54, 64) interrupts the conduction that occurs in the insulating skirt channel (38) by blocking the plasma arc (3) from conducting current from rail to rail (1a, 1b) at the rear of the projectile (30, 40, 50, 60). The arc extinguishing skirt may be comprised of two plates (36a, 36b) which form a horseshoe wherein the plates are parallel to the rails (1a, b); a chisel-shape design; cross-shaped, or it may be a cylindrical (64). The length of the insulating skirt channel is selected such that there is sufficient plasma in the channel to enable adequate current conduction between the rails (1a, 1b).

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Livermore, CA
  2. Pleasanton, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
869105
Patent Number(s):
5275083
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F42 - AMMUNITION F42B - EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
skirted; projectiles; railguns; single; skirt; projectile; 20; insulating; 22; rear; dual; trailing; 30; 40; 50; 60; 32; 42; 52; 62; succeeded; extinguishing; 34; 44; 54; 64; accelerated; railgun; accelerator; 10; pair; parallel; conducting; rails; 1a; 1b; separated; wall; spacers; 11; plasma; channel; 38; interrupts; conduction; occurs; blocking; current; rail; comprised; plates; 36a; 36b; form; horseshoe; chisel-shape; design; cross-shaped; cylindrical; length; selected; sufficient; enable; adequate; plasma channel; railgun accelerator; insulating skirt; conducting current; current conduction; skirt projectile; parallel conducting; /89/102/124/

Citation Formats

Hawke, Ronald S, and Susoeff, Allan R. Skirted projectiles for railguns. United States: N. p., 1994. Web.
Hawke, Ronald S, & Susoeff, Allan R. Skirted projectiles for railguns. United States.
Hawke, Ronald S, and Susoeff, Allan R. Sat . "Skirted projectiles for railguns". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869105.
@article{osti_869105,
title = {Skirted projectiles for railguns},
author = {Hawke, Ronald S and Susoeff, Allan R},
abstractNote = {A single skirt projectile (20) having an insulating skirt (22) at its rear, or a dual trailing skirt projectile (30, 40, 50, 60) having an insulating skirt (32, 42, 52, 62) succeeded by an arc extinguishing skirt (34, 44, 54, 64), is accelerated by a railgun accelerator 10 having a pair of parallel conducting rails (1a, 1b) which are separated by insulating wall spacers (11). The insulating skirt (22, 32, 42, 52, 62) includes a plasma channel (38). The arc extinguishing skirt (34, 44, 54, 64) interrupts the conduction that occurs in the insulating skirt channel (38) by blocking the plasma arc (3) from conducting current from rail to rail (1a, 1b) at the rear of the projectile (30, 40, 50, 60). The arc extinguishing skirt may be comprised of two plates (36a, 36b) which form a horseshoe wherein the plates are parallel to the rails (1a, b); a chisel-shape design; cross-shaped, or it may be a cylindrical (64). The length of the insulating skirt channel is selected such that there is sufficient plasma in the channel to enable adequate current conduction between the rails (1a, 1b).},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994}
}