Ordnance – Accelerating
Patent
1986-05-12
1988-04-19
Kyle, Deborah L.
Ordnance
Accelerating
124 3, 200 11R, 200144AP, 200164R, 200279, 310 12, F41F 102
Patent
active
047381817
ABSTRACT:
A very low inductance, high current, repetitive opening switch for railguns. A specific embodiment has a circular rotor positioned behind the rails with its rotational axis coaxial with the railgun projectile path defined by the rails. The face of the rotor facing the rails has at least one conducting and at least one insulating region, each symmetric about a diameter of the rotor. A pair of current collectors, or brushes, are positioned against the rotor face so that the rotor, when rotating, will alternately conduct and insulate current between the current collectors as conducting or insulating rotor regions sweep past the brushes, thereby communicating current between the switch and the rails. A specific embodiment of the invention has the conducting region the shape of a diametric strip, or shorting bar, and each current collector substantially the shape of an annular segment. The current collectors are made as a plurality of conductive fingers. Stainless steel edges along the shorting bar increase the rate of rise of resistance as the switch commutates current to the rails. The rotor may be driven by a hollow shaft to allow breech loading of the projectiles through the rotor. Another embodiment forms the shorting bar as an undulating channel to allow maximum current while the switch is closed, but increasing the rate of rise of resistance as the switch begins to open.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2402422 (1946-06-01), Lindenblad
patent: 2668894 (1954-02-01), Coates
patent: 3030460 (1962-04-01), Huetten et al.
patent: 3048670 (1962-08-01), Jackson
patent: 4355561 (1982-10-01), Kemeny et al.
patent: 4369692 (1983-01-01), Kemeny
patent: 4426562 (1984-01-01), Kemeny
patent: 4429613 (1984-02-01), Deis et al.
patent: 4433607 (1984-02-01), Kemeny
patent: 4534263 (1985-08-01), Heyne et al.
patent: 4555972 (1985-12-01), Heyne
J. P. Barber and T. J. Trzaska, "Repetitive Switching for Inductive Energy Storage", AFWAL-TR-82-2088, Aug. 1982.
T. McCormick and J. Barber, "A 500 kA Repetitive Opening Switch", Proceedings of the 3rd Symposium on Electromagnetic Launch Technology, Apr. 21-24, 1986, Austin, TX, pp. 169-174.
Griffiths John E.
Kyle Deborah L.
Singer Donald J.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
LandOfFree
Repetitive high-current opening switch for railguns does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Repetitive high-current opening switch for railguns, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Repetitive high-current opening switch for railguns will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2169305