Coilgun

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Simplified diagram of a multistage coilgun with three coils, a barrel, and a ferromagnetic projectile

A coilgun (or Gauss gun, in reference to Carl Friedrich Gauss, who formulated mathematical
descriptions of the magnetic effect used by magnetic accelerators) is a type of projectile
accelerator consisting of one or more coils used as electromagnets in the configuration of a linear
motor that accelerate a ferromagnetic or conducting projectile to high velocity.[1] In almost all
coilgun configurations, the coils and the gun barrel are arranged on a common axis.
Coilguns generally consist of one or more coils arranged along a barrel, so the path of the
accelerating projectile lies along the central axis of the coils. The coils are switched on and off in
a precisely timed sequence, causing the projectile to be accelerated quickly along the barrel via
magnetic forces. Coilguns are distinct from railguns, as the direction of acceleration in a railgun
is at right angles to the central axis of the current loop formed by the conducting rails. Also,
railguns usually require the use of sliding contacts to pass a large current through the projectile
or sabot but coilguns do not necessarily require sliding contacts.[2] Whilst some simple coilgun
concepts can use ferromagnetic projectiles or even permanent magnet projectiles, most designs
for high velocities actually incorporate a coupled coil as part of the projectile.

Contents

1 History
2 Construction
o 2.1 Ferromagnetic projectiles
o 2.2 Switching
o 2.3 Resistance
o 2.4 Magnetic circuit
o 2.5 Ferromagnetic projectile saturation

o 2.6 Projectile magnetization and reaction time

History
The first operational coilgun was developed and patented by Norwegian physicist Kristian
Birkeland.[citation needed]
In 1934, an American inventor developed a machine gun similar in concept to the coilgun.
Except for a photo in a few publications, very little is known about it.[3]

Construction
There are two main types or setups of a coilgun: single-stage and multistage. A single-stage
coilgun uses one electromagnet to propel a projectile. A multistage coilgun uses several
electromagnets in succession to progressively increase the speed of the projectile.
Ferromagnetic projectiles

A single stage coilgun

For ferromagnetic projectiles, a single stage coilgun can be formed by a coil of wire, an
electromagnet, with a ferromagnetic projectile placed at one of its ends. This type of coilgun is
formed like the solenoid used in an electromechanical relay, i.e. a current-carrying coil which
will draw a ferromagnetic object through its center. A large current is pulsed through the coil of
wire and a strong magnetic field forms, pulling the projectile to the center of the coil. When the
projectile nears this point the electromagnet must be switched off, to prevent the projectile from
becoming arrested at the center of the electromagnet.
In a multistage design, further electromagnets are then used to repeat this process, progressively
accelerating the projectile. In common coilgun designs, the "barrel" of the gun is made up of a

track that the projectile rides on, with the driver into the magnetic coils around the track. Power
is supplied to the electromagnet from some sort of fast discharge storage device, typically a
battery, or high-capacity high voltage capacitors (one per electromagnet), designed for fast
energy discharge. A diode is used to protect polarity sensitive components (such as
semiconductors or electrolytic capacitors) from damage due to inverse polarity of the voltage
after turning off the coil.
Many hobbyists use low-cost rudimentary designs to experiment with coilguns, for example
using photoflash capacitors from a disposable camera, or a capacitor from a standard cathode-ray
tube television as the energy source, and a low inductance coil to propel the projectile
forward.[4][5]
Some designs have non-ferromagnetic projectiles, of such as aluminum or copper, with the
armature of the projectile acting as an electromagnet with internal current induced by pulses of
the acceleration coils.[6][7] A superconducting coilgun called a quench gun could be created by
successively quenching a line of adjacent coaxial superconducting coils forming a gun barrel,
generating a wave of magnetic field gradient traveling at any desired speed. A traveling
superconducting coil might be made to ride this wave like a surfboard. The device would be a
mass driver or linear synchronous motor with the propulsion energy stored directly in the drive
coils.[8] Another method would have non-superconducting acceleration coils and propulsion
energy stored outside them but a projectile with superconducting magnets.[9]
Though the cost of power switching and other factors can limit projectile energy, a notable
benefit of some coilgun designs over simpler railguns is avoiding an intrinsic velocity limit from
hypervelocity physical contact and erosion. By having the projectile pulled towards or levitated
within the center of the coils as it is accelerated, no physical friction with the walls of the bore
occurs. If the bore is a total vacuum (such as a tube with a plasma window) there is no friction at
all which helps prolonged reusability.[9][10]
Switching

A multistage coilgun

One main obstacle in coilgun design is switching the power through the coils. There are several
common solutionsthe simplest (and probably least effective) is the spark gap, which releases
the stored energy through the coil when the voltage reaches a certain threshold. A better option is

to use solid-state switches; these include IGBTs or power MOSFETs (which can be switched off
mid-pulse) and SCRs (which release all stored energy before turning off).[11]
A quick-and-dirty method for switching, especially for those using a flash camera for the main
components, is to use the flash tube itself as a switch. By wiring it in series with the coil, it can
silently and non-destructively (assuming that the energy in the capacitor is kept below the tube's
safe operating limits) allow a large amount of current to pass through to the coil. Like any flash
tube, ionizing the gas in the tube with a high voltage triggers it. However, a large amount of the
energy will be dissipated as heat and light, and, due to the tube being a spark gap, the tube will
stop conducting once the voltage across it drops sufficiently, leaving some charge remaining on
the capacitor.
Resistance
The electrical resistance of the coils and the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the current
source are among other limits to the efficiency of a coilgun.
Magnetic circuit
Ideally, 100% of the magnetic flux generated by the coil would be delivered to and act on the
projectile, but this is often far from the case due to the common air-core solenoid construction of
most coilguns, which are usually relatively simple and inefficient designs made by hobbyists.
With a simple air-cored solenoid, the majority of the magnetic flux is not coupled into the
projectile because of the magnetic circuit's high reluctance. The uncoupled flux generates a
magnetic field that stores energy in the surrounding air. The energy that is stored in this field
does not simply disappear from the magnetic circuit once the capacitor finishes discharging,
instead returning to the coilgun's electric circuit. Because the coilgun's electric circuit is
inherently analogous to an LC oscillator, the unused energy returns in the reverse direction
('ringing'), which can seriously damage polarized capacitors such as electrolytic capacitors.
Reverse charging can be prevented by a diode connected in reverse-parallel across the capacitor
terminals; as a result, the current keeps flowing until the diode and the coil's resistance dissipate
the field energy as heat. While this is a simple and frequently utilized solution, it requires an
additional expensive high-power diode and a well-designed coil with enough thermal mass and
heat dissipation capability in order to prevent component failure.
Some designs attempt to recover the energy stored in the magnetic field by using a pair of
diodes. These diodes, instead of being forced to dissipate the remaining energy, recharge the
capacitors with the right polarity for the next discharge cycle. This will also avoid the need to
fully recharge the capacitors, thus significantly reducing charge times. However, the practicality
of this solution is limited by the resulting high recharge current through the equivalent series
resistance (ESR) of the capacitors; the ESR will dissipate some of the recharge current,
generating heat within the capacitors and potentially shortening their lifetime.

To reduce component size, weight, durability requirements, and most importantly, cost, the
magnetic circuit must be optimized to deliver more energy to the projectile for a given energy
input. This has been addressed to some extent by the use of back iron and end iron, which are
pieces of magnetic material that enclose the coil and create paths of lower reluctance in order to
improve the amount of magnetic flux coupled into the projectile. Results can vary widely,
depending on the materials used; hobbyist designs may use, for example, materials ranging
anywhere from magnetic steel (more effective, lower reluctance) to video tape (little
improvement in reluctance). Moreover, the additional pieces of magnetic material in the
magnetic circuit can potentially exacerbate the possibility of flux saturation and other magnetic
losses.
Ferromagnetic projectile saturation
Another significant limitation of the coilgun is the occurrence of magnetic saturation in the
ferromagnetic projectile. When the flux in the projectile lies in the linear portion of its material's
B(H) curve, the force applied to the core is proportional to the square of coil current (I)the
field (H) is linearly dependent on I, B is linearly dependent on H and force is linearly dependent
on the product BI. This relationship continues until the core is saturated; once this happens B
will only increase marginally with H (and thus with I), so force gain is linear. Since losses are
proportional to I2, increasing current beyond this point eventually decreases efficiency although
it may increase the force. This puts an absolute limit on how much a given projectile can be
accelerated with a single stage at acceptable efficiency.
Projectile magnetization and reaction time
Apart from saturation, the B(H) dependency often contains a hysteresis loop and the reaction
time of the projectile material may be significant. The hysteresis means that the projectile
becomes permanently magnetized and some energy will be lost as a permanent magnetic field of
the projectile. The projectile reaction time, on the other hand, makes the projectile reluctant to
respond to abrupt B changes; the flux will not rise as fast as desired while current is applied and
a B tail will occur after the coil field has disappeared. This delay decreases the force, which
would be maximized if the H and B were in phase.

Induction coilguns
Most of the work to develop coilguns as hyper-velocity launchers has used "air-cored" systems
to get around the limitations associated with ferromagnetic projectiles. In these systems, the
projectile is accelerated by a moving coil "armature". If the armature is configured as one or
more "shorted turns" then induced currents will result as a consequence of the time variation of
the current in the static launcher coil (or coils).
In principle, coilguns can also be constructed in which the moving coils are fed with current via
sliding contacts. However, the practical construction of such arrangements requires the provision
of reliable high speed sliding contacts. Although feeding current to a multi-turn coil armature
might not require currents as large as those required in a railgun, the elimination of the need for

high speed sliding contacts is an obvious potential advantage of the induction coilgun relative to
the railgun.
Air cored systems also introduce the penalty that much higher currents may be needed than in an
"iron cored" system. Ultimately though, subject to the provision of appropriately rated power
supplies, air cored systems can operate with much greater magnetic field strengths than "iron
cored" systems, so that, ultimately, much higher accelerations and forces should be possible.

Potential uses

A M934 mortar round is adapted for experimental coilgun launch with a conformal armature tail kit, to
be fired through a barrel composed of short solenoidal electromagnets stacked end to end

Small coilguns are recreationally made by hobbyists, typically up to several joules to tens of
joules projectile energy (the latter comparable muzzle energy to a typical air gun and an order of
magnitude less than a firearm) while ranging from under one percent to several percent
efficiency.[12]
Much higher efficiency and energy can be obtained with designs of greater expense and
sophistication. In 1978, Bondaletov in the USSR achieved record acceleration with a single stage
by sending a 2-gram ring to 5000 m/s in 1 cm of length, but the most efficient modern designs
tend to involve many stages.[13] Above 90% efficiency is estimated for some vastly larger
superconducting concepts for space launch.[10] An experimental 45-stage DARPA coilgun mortar
design is 22% efficient, with 1.6 megajoules KE delivered to a round.[14]

A large coilgun concept, a coaxial electromagnetic launcher firing projectiles to orbit

Though facing the challenge of competitiveness versus conventional guns (and sometimes
railgun alternatives), coilguns are being researched for weaponry.[14]
The DARPA Electromagnetic Mortar program is an example of potential benefits, if practical
challenges like sufficiently low weight can be managed. The coilgun would be relatively silent
with no smoke giving away its position, though a coilgun projectile would still create a sonic
boom if supersonic. Adjustable yet smooth acceleration of the projectile throughout the barrel
can allow somewhat higher velocity, with a predicted range increase of 30% for a 120mm EM
mortar over the conventional version of similar length. With no separate propellant charges to
load, the researchers envision the firing rate to approximately double.[14][15]
In 2006, a 120mm prototype was under construction for evaluation, though time before reaching
field deployment, if such occurs, was estimated then as 5 to 10+ years by Sandia National
Laboratories.[14][15] In 2011, development was proposed of an 81mm coilgun mortar to operate
with a hybrid-electric version of the future Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.[16][17]
Electromagnetic aircraft catapults are planned, including on board future U.S. Gerald R. Ford
class aircraft carriers. An experimental induction coilgun version of an Electromagnetic Missile
Launcher (EMML) has been tested for launching Tomahawk missiles.[18] A coilgun-based active
defense system for tanks is under development at HIT in China.[19]
Coilgun potential has been perceived as extending beyond military applications. Challenging and
corresponding to a magnitude of capital investment that few entities could readily fund, gigantic
coilguns with projectile mass and velocity on the scale of gigajoules of kinetic energy (as
opposed to megajoules or less) have not been developed so far, but such have been proposed as
launchers from the Moon or from Earth:

An ambitious lunar-base proposal considered within a 1975 NASA study would have involved a
4000 ton coilgun sending 10 million tons of lunar material to L5 in support of massive space
colonization (cumulatively over years, utilizing a large 9900-ton power plant).[20]
A 1992 NASA study calculated that a 330-ton lunar superconducting quenchgun could launch
annually 4400 projectiles, each 1.5 tons and mostly liquid oxygen payload, using a relatively
small amount of power, 350 kW average.[21]

After NASA Ames estimated how to meet aerothermal requirements for heat shields with
terrestrial surface launch, Sandia National Laboratories investigated electromagnetic launchers
to orbit, in addition to researching other EML applications, both railguns and coilguns. In 1990, a
kilometer-long coilgun was proposed for launch of small satellites.[22][23]
Later investigations at Sandia included a 2005 study of the StarTram concept for an extremely
long coilgun, one version conceived as launching passengers to orbit with survivable
acceleration.[24]

c. Ferromagnetik.
Bahan ferromagnetik adalah bahan yang mempunyai resultan medan atomis
besar (Halliday & Resnick, 1989). Hal ini terutama disebabkan oleh momen magnetik
spin elektron. Pada bahan ferromagnetik banyak spin elektron yang tidak
berpasangan, misalnya pada atom besi terdapat empat buah spin elektron yang tidak
berpasangan. Masing-masing spin elektron yang tidak berpasangan ini akan
memberikan medan magnetik, sehingga total medan magnetik yang dihasilkan oleh
suatu atom lebih besar.
Medan magnet dari masing-masing atom dalam bahan ferromagnetik sangat
kuat, sehingga interaksi diantara atom-atom tetangganya menyebabkan sebagian
besar atom akan mensejajarkan diri membentuk kelompok-kelompok.
Kelompok atom yang mensejajarkan dirinya dalam suatu daerah dinamakan
domain. Bahan feromagnetik sebelum diberi medan magnet luar mempunyai domain
yang momen magnetiknya kuat, tetapi momen magnetik ini mempunyai arah yang
berbeda-beda dari satu domain ke domain yang lain sehingga medan magnet yang
dihasilkan tiap domain saling meniadakan.
Bahan ini jika diberi medan magnet dari luar, maka domain-domain ini akan
mensejajarkan diri searah dengan medan magnet dari luar. Semakin kuat medan
magnetnya semakin banyak domain-domain yang mensejajarkan dirinya. Akibatnya
medan magnet dalam bahan ferromagnetik akan semakin kuat. Setelah seluruh
domain terarahkan, penambahan medan magnet luar tidak memberi pengaruh apa-

apa karena tidak ada lagi domain yang disearahkan. Keadaan ini dinamakan jenuh
atau keadaan saturasi.
Permeabilitas bahan ferromagnetik adalah 0>>> dan suseptibilitas bahannya
0>>>m. contoh bahan ferromagnetik : besi, baja, besi silicon dan lain-lain. Sifat
kemagnetan bahan ferromagnetik ini akan hilang pada temperatur yang disebut
Temperatur Currie. Temperatur Curie untuk besi lemah adalah 770 0C, dan untuk baja
adalah 1043 0C (Kraus. J. D, 1970).
Bahan ferromagnetik ada yang positif, kerentanan besar untuk medan magnet
luar. Mereka menunjukkan daya tarik yang kuat untuk medan magnet dan mampu
mempertahankan sifat magnetik mereka setelah bidang eksternal telah dihapus
bahan. Ferromagnetik memiliki elektron tidak berpasangan sehingga atom mereka
memiliki momen magnet bersih. Mereka mendapatkan magnet yang kuat sifat mereka
karena keberadaan domain magnetik. Dalam domain ini, sejumlah besar di saat-saat
atom (1012 sampai 1015) adalah sejajar paralel sehingga gaya magnet dalam domain yang
kuat. Ketika bahan feromagnetik dalam keadaan unmagnitized, wilayah hampir secara
acak terorganisir dan medan magnet bersih untuk bagian yang secara keseluruhan
adalah nol.. Ketika kekuatan magnetizing diberikan, domain menjadi selaras untuk
menghasilkan medan magnet yang kuat dalam bagian.. Besi, nikel, dan kobalt adalah
contoh bahan feromagnetik.. Komponen dengan materi-materi ini biasanya diperiksa
dengan menggunakan metode partikel magnetik.
Ferromagnetisme adalah sebuah fenomena dimana sebuah material dapat
mengalami magnetisasi secara spontan, dan merupakan satu dari bentuk kemagnetan
yang paling kuat. Fenomena inilah yang dapat menjelaskan kelakuan magnet yang kita
jumpai sehari-hari. Ferromagnetisme dan ferromagnetisme merupakan dasar untuk
menjelaskan fenomena magnet permanen.
Ciri-ciri bahan ferromagnetic adalah:

Bahan yang mempunyai resultan medan magnetis atomis besar.

Tetap bersifat magnetik sangat baik sebagai magnet permanen

Jika solenoida diisi bahan ini akan dihasilkan induksi magnetik sangat besar (bisa ribuan
kali).Permeabilitas bahan ini: u > uo ( miu > miu nol)
Contoh: besi, baja, besi silikon, nikel, kobalt.