Influence of the orbital configuration of a four-rail electromagnetic launcher on Joule heat

• Published in: Advanced electromagnetics Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Zhang, P., Shu, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Advanced Electromagnetics 05-10-2022
• Subjects: electromagnetic launch technology; finite element simulation; orbital configuration; quadrupole magnetic field; temperature characteristics
• ISSN: 2119-0275; 2119-0275
• DOI: 10.7716/aem.v11i4.2003

During the working process of electromagnetic launcher, the rapid temperature rise caused by heat accumulation has an important influence on the performance and life of the armature and rail. In order to better solve the thermal ablation problem of the armature and rail of the four-rail electromagnetic launcher, three different configurations of the rail and armature model are established, using the finite element method, the Joule heating characteristics of the three structures are simulated, analyzed and compared. The simulation results show that the Joule heat of the armatures of the three structures is concentrated at the throat, and the Joule heat of the rail is concentrated at the edge of the rail and the contact surface of the pivot rail; among the three structures, the electromagnetic launcher of the convex rail-concave armature structure has the smallest temperature rise rate, in addition, the peak temperature on the contact surface between the armature and the guide rail is the lowest, the safety of the ammunition is the highest, and the performance is more advantageous than the electromagnetic launcher of the other two structures.