Railgun Materials Science
Abstract
NRL has initiated a program in electromagnetic (EM) launcher technology focusing on railgun materials science issues. A railgun consists of a power supply that drives current through a pair of conductors or rails to accelerate a projectile to high velocity. The rails and their insulators are contained in a barrel mounted on a platform. The platform must house the power supplies, controls, and projectile loader for the EM Gun (EMG). The conditions within the barrel for high-velocity launch of a multi-kilogram projectile are extreme. They can reach 10,000 atmospheres pressures, megampere currents, and tens of kilo gees acceleration. The barrel must withstand these conditions for up to several rounds per minute for thousands of shots without failure or significant degradation. These parameters are well beyond the state of the art in materials science. NRL scientists are studying the rail, armature, sliding interface, and insulators under these conditions. Initial results from moderate power railguns have shown problems due to rail surface erosion, alloying of materials, arc formation, and localized heating effects. Electric launch offers significant advantages over chemical propellant launch. Conventional guns are limited to velocities comparable to the sound speed of the propellants in the barrel, which limits their effective range to less than 20 nmi. They also require handling of large quantities of energetic materials (propellant and explosive payload) both in the supply chain and on-board ship. An EMG offers the potential to launch projectiles at higher velocity, which translates into short delivery time and ranges up to 200 nmi, and to use shipboard electric generating capability to launch rather than chemical propellants. The projectile would also be a kinetic energy round with little or no explosives, which simplifies both the supply chain and the magazine requirements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA521513
Entities
People
- Robert A. Meger
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory