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Design & Analysis of Rail Gun

Submitted By :

Contents
Objective
Introduction
Literature Review
Relevance
Project Methodology
Project Work Description
Schedule
Budget Estimation
References

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Objective
The aim of this project is to design and analyse a rail gun which can be mounded on
a light vehicle.

It Is also to show the difference between conventional fire arms and a rail gun and
its advantages.

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Introduction
A rail gun is an electrically powered electromagnetic projectile launcher.
As its name shows a gun in which a pair of rails is used.
It is used to propel a solid slug at hypervelocity, which is capable to penetrating even
the toughest enemy armor.
It fire a conductive metal which is nonpropellants based means no use of fuel or
explosives.

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Literature Review

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Sl

Author

Journal

Journal Topic

Conclusions

Saravana Kumar
&
Murugan .R

International Journal Of
Innovative Research In
Science, Engineering
And Technology

Effective Analysis On Metal-metal Contact

On C-shaped Armature-rail Interface

The Differences Between The

Performances Of Concave ASCA And
Convex ASCA In A Rail Gun Is Obtained

Investigating The Effect Of Current Shape

On
Rail Gun Design At Transient Conditions

The Results Proved

That The Working Time Of Input Pulse Is
Essential As It
Decides Design Parameters Of The Rail
Gun System.

Analysis Of The Performance

Parameters Of A Novel
Plasma Launcher In Rail Gun

It
Is Found That The Rail Guns Designed
Using Plasma Armature
And Gold Coil Produces Lesser Friction
And The Temperature

Murugan .R,
Saravana
Kumar &
Azhagar
Raj .M
P. Balamurali,
G. Vijila,
S. Thiruselvam
&
D. Saravanakumar

International Journal of
Advanced Engineering
Technology

ARPN Journal Of
Engineering And Applied
Sciences

Relevance
Wide Area Coverage
-Increased Speed To Target
-Greater Range
Reduces Cost Per Kill
-Lower Unit Cost
-Lower Handling Cost
Enhances Safety
-Reduced Collateral Damage
-Simplified Storage, Transportation & Replenishment
-No Unexploded Ordnance On Battlefield
Multi-mission Capability
-Naval Surface Fire Support
-Surface Warfare
-Missile Defence
-Long Range Fires

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Project Methodology
Project Topic Selection
Design And Calculation
Raw Material Collection
Machining Processes
Inspection
Surface Treatments
Assembling
Trial
Maintenance (If Any)
Submission

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Project Work Description

The rails are lengths of conductive metal, such as copper. They can range from 1 to 12
meters long.
The armature bridges the gap between the rails. It can be a solid piece of conductive metal
or a
conductive sabot -- a carrier that houses a dart or other projectile.

Some rail guns use a plasma armature. In this set-up a thin metal foil is placed on the back
of a non-conducting projectile. When power flows through this foil it vaporizes and
becomes a plasma, which carries the current.

There is also an electrical system to provide the required electrical energy like batteries
and capacitors.

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Here's how the pieces work together :

An electric current runs from the positive terminal of the power supply, up the positive rail,
across the armature, and down the negative rail back to the power supply.
Current flowing in any wire creates A magnetic field around it -- A region where A magnetic
force is felt. This force has both A magnitude and A direction.
In A rail gun, the two rails act like wires, with A magnetic field circulating around each rail.
The force lines of the magnetic field run in A counter clockwise circle around the positive rail
and in A clockwise circle around the negative rail.
The net magnetic field between the rails is directed vertically.

Like a charged wire in an electric field, the projectile experiences a force known as the Lorentz
force
(after the Dutch physicist Hendrik A. Lorentz).
The Lorentz force is directed perpendicularly to the magnetic field and to the direction of the
current flowing across the armature.
You can see how this works in the diagram below.

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Notice that the Lorentz force is parallel to the rails, acting away from the power supply.
The magnitude of the force is determined by the equation :

F = (I)(L)(B)
, I = CURRENT ( AMPERE )
L = LENGTH OF RAIL ( METERS )
B = MAGNETIC FIELD ( WEBER )
The force can be boosted by increasing either the length of the rails or the amount of current.
Because long rails pose design challenges, most rail guns use strong currents -- on the order of
a million amps -- to generate tremendous force.
The projectile, under the influence of the Lorentz force, accelerates to the end of the rails
opposite the power supply and exits through an aperture.
The circuit is broken, which ends the flow of current.

Schedule

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SERIAL NO.

ACTIVITY

SCHEDULE

STATUS

Project Topic Selection

May 2nd week

Finished

Design And Calculations

August - October

In-Progress

Raw Materials Collection

October December

Not Started

Machining Processes

September - January

Not Started

Inspection And Surface Finishing

January February

Not Started

Assembling

February

Not Started

Trial

February - March

Not Started

Maintenance

February - March

Not Started

Submission

Budget Estimation

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SERIAL NO.

ITEM

ESTIMATED PRICE (Rs.)

1.

Rails (Two)

1000

2.

Batteries

4000

3.

Capacitors

3000

4.

Wires

1000

5.

Projectile

1000

6.

Other Expenses

2000

7.

Total

12000

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/railgun
http://www.rit.edu/~dih0658/apps.html
http://members.tm.net/lapointe/emguns.html
http://www.dstl.gov.uk/pr/science_spot/off_the_rails3.html
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/content_images/06materials_meger.pdf
http://physik.uni-graz.at/~uxh/teaching/presentations14/publication/bruckmayer.pdf
http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=aerosp

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THE FUTURISTIC WEAPON

Rail Gun

THANK YOU