A Laboratory Railgun for Terminal Ballistics and Arc Armature Research Studies

A conceptual design was developed for a laboratory railgun suitable for both rac armature research and terminal ballistics studies. High utility and easy maintenance were the key design considerations. Parametric trade-off studies were conducted to evaluate and select the railgun parameters to achieve a system that accelerate a 120 gm launch package to 2 kms. The design incorporates use of advanced materials for the bore components to minimize maintenance, and maximize performance through low bore erosion and deflection. The conceptual design includes features that allows easy replacement of the bore components for test evaluation requires a minimum amount of manpower for assembly and operation and has provision for the required test diagnostics. Keywords Electromagnetic guns Railgun Arc armature Advanced materials Terminal ballistic.