2nd year Eng.student trying to build a railgun. Verify or modify please

In summary, the conversation discusses the building of a small railgun with a goal of launching a 20-40g projectile at 400km/h. The attached excel file acts as a simulation, with cells in red requiring values from a table, cells in blue needing user input, and cells in green listing the current/mass needed to achieve desired values. The gun will utilize a capacitor bank with manually set capacitance and voltage, and low resistance assumed due to the use of 3-6 caps in parallel.
  • #1
Fr1ki
6
0
Hey all

Im trying to build a small railgun capable of launching a projectile(20-40g) to about 400km/h.

Attached is a excel file. It is a sort of simulation. Cells in red must get values from the table. Cells in Blue must be typed in by user. Cells in Green list the Current/Mass needed to acieve desired values.

This all makes a lot more sense with the simulator.

Thank You!
 

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  • Railgun.xls
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  • #2
Kind of forgot about the user friendliness.

The gun will make use of a capasitor bank. The capasitance and voltage of each of the caps can be set manually. The resistance is in a column. It seems very low, but it is assumed that between 3-6 caps are used in parrallel.
 

1. How does a railgun work?

A railgun is a type of weapon that uses electromagnetic forces to accelerate a projectile. It consists of two parallel rails that act as conductors and a moving armature that connects the rails. When a high voltage is applied to the rails, a current flows through them and creates a magnetic field. This magnetic field interacts with the current in the armature, creating a force that propels the armature and attached projectile forward at high speeds.

2. What materials are needed to build a railgun?

To build a railgun, you will need two parallel rails made of a conductive material such as copper or aluminum, a power source to provide the necessary voltage, a capacitor bank to store the electrical energy, a switch to control the flow of current, and a projectile to be accelerated.

3. How much power is required to operate a railgun?

The power required to operate a railgun depends on the size and design of the railgun. Generally, a railgun needs a high voltage of several thousand volts and a large current of several thousand amperes to operate effectively. This can be supplied by a power source such as a battery, a capacitor bank, or a pulsed power supply.

4. What are the potential dangers of building a railgun?

Building a railgun can be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. The high voltage and current involved can cause electric shock or burns. The high speeds of the projectile can also cause damage or injury if not properly contained. It is important to follow safety guidelines and wear appropriate protective gear when working with a railgun.

5. How can the performance of a railgun be improved?

There are several ways to improve the performance of a railgun. One way is to increase the power supply to provide a higher voltage and current, which will result in a stronger magnetic field and faster acceleration of the projectile. Another way is to improve the design of the rails and armature to reduce friction and resistance. Additionally, using a lighter and more aerodynamic projectile can also improve the performance of a railgun.

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