Salvo performance analysis of triple-projectile railgun

Abstract

The triple-projectile railgun can launch three projectiles per fire. The rail pairs are stacked so that each rail pair is facing the bore, each having its own projectile. In order to analyze its salvo performance, we investigate the self-inductance gradient (L') and mutual-inductance gradient (M') of each rail pair through a 3-D electromagnetic finite-element analysis (FEA). The results show that the mutual-inductance gradients of the three rail pairs are different (M 1 ' ≠ M 2 ' ≠ M 3 ') when the three armatures are at different positions. Subsequent circuit simulation of the launching process shows that the force acting on the front armature is less than that on the rear armature. We discover that the configuration of the railgun will facilitate the synchronization during the launching process. To validate the results of simulation, a triple-projectile railgun one meter in length is built. It provides a basis for the design of multi-projectile railgun.