ARDEC (Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center) Electric Gun In-House Test Program-Fiscal Year 1988

摘要

This report summarizes the experimental testing conducted on three railguns. Itdiscusses improvements to the 30-megajoule homopolar generator and 250-kilojoule capacitor bank as well as instrumentation techniques and analysis capabilities. It also describes the planned high energy lab. The 50-mm square bore railgun demonstrated dramatic improvements in barrel wear with solid armatures of proper design. Tests on the short prototype of the 20-mm round bore railgun indicated that the composite structure will withstand the forces involved in the upcoming 5 km/sec tests using plasma armatures. The 50-mm round bore railgun short prototype tests pointed out the difficulties of designing solid round bore armatures and the importance of matching barrel stiffness and armature compliance. Keywords: Electromagnetic guns; Homopolar generator; Solid armature projectiles; Composite railgun barrels; Railguns. (jhd)