In order for railgun technology to be relevant to the Infantry, the design of the projectile must incorporate the following three concepts: an effective ballistics package, geometries for aerodynamic stability; and a non-parasitic conducting armature. I designed an effective 30mm and scaled 40mm projectile which incorporates the aforementioned concepts. My ballistics analysis concluded with two AUTODYN. finite-element computer models that refined theoretical estimates for target penetration. The proposed railgun projectiles were effective in penetrating 100 mm of Rolled Homogenous Armor and in perforating 8 inches of Double Layered Reinforced Concrete. My theoretical analysis in aerodynamics predicts in-flight stability with a minimum static margin of approximately two percent. The analysis and modeling of the electromagnetic launch resulted in an adequate design. For this analysis, I used three Comsol Multiphysics. finite-element computer models. The modeling results validated fundamental railgun equations. The final projectile design concluded with a 3 m barrel and is characterized by the following parameters: conducting rails with an inductance gradient Å OÌ 0.38 Å IÌ H/m; an average temperature rise in the rails of 20 Å CÌ per shot; an effective current of less than 2 MA; and a projectile launch velocity of 1100 m/s.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nps.edu/oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/1849 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Brady, James A. |
| Contributors | Maier, William B., Brown, Ronald E., Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)., Department of Physics |
| Publisher | Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School |
| Source Sets | Naval Postgraduate School |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xviii, 126 p. : col. ill. ;, application/pdf |
| Rights | Approved for public release, distribution unlimited |
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