ELECTROMAGNETIC RAIL GUN FRAGMENT ACCELERATOR CONCEPT DEMONSTRATOR

Abstract

The future objective of this study is to establish testing techniques to evaluate the penetrating ability of shrapnel fragments produced from fragmenting warheads. Difficult to capture data points such as residual velocity and mass are required to, individually, characterise single fragment penetrability. One of the more challenging aspects of penetrability testing is the ability to study individual fragment impact at speeds exceeding 2 km/s. Fragment acceleration by means of an electromagnetic (EM) rail gun seems to be well suited to test weapon applications and is expected to be the future system of choice for high velocity fragment impact analysis. A concept-demonstrator rail gun (6000J, Ma MV 320 m/s) and internal ballistic model is presented in this study establishing technology toward the future development of a full-scale EM fragment accelerator test system. This paper presents the findings and challenges encountered during the development and testing of small-scale electromagnetic rail gun. In particular, findings are presented onunexpectedforward plasma escape likely resulting from excessive joule heating in the armature-railinjection region.