An investigation of the effects of some properties of materials on the characteristics of armature acceleration in a railgun

The velocity skin-effect is one of the main factors which set the limits to the launch velocity and lifetime of the barrel in railguns with a metal armature. The subject of this paper is a numerical investigation of the effects of the use of materials with properties not traditional for railguns. The use of materials having anisotropic electrical conductivity results in an increase of the velocity at which an armature begins to evaporate. The paper involves a brief analysis of materials with such properties. Also considered is alternative possibility of controlling the contact performance with the help of the phenomenon of field emission as a mechanism for current transport in the narrow clearance between a rail and an armature. Preliminary numerical results show that the field emission electrode can improve the contact