Structural Design of Cylindrical Railguns

A systematic structural design approach to the development of cylindrical electromagnetic launchers has been formulated, using classical analytical methods in preliminary feasibility studies and finite-element methods to simulate static and dynamic structural response. Three-dimensional stress analysis results indicate that conventional assumptions associated with two-dimensional analysis for design are generally valid. Frequency-domain analysis of the subject structure and associated design loads can be used to estimate the significance of inertial effects under dynamic loading. Results of the study show that significant improvements in system performance are possible despite the limitations of nonconducting structural materials currently available for railgun fabrication