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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chen, Sophia, Peng, Annie, Chen, Ava, Liu, Takyiu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.07594
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author Chen, Sophia
Peng, Annie
Chen, Ava
Liu, Takyiu
author_facet Chen, Sophia
Peng, Annie
Chen, Ava
Liu, Takyiu
contents This study presents several novel approaches to improve the efficiency of a single-stage coil gun. Conventional designs typically feature a uniformly wound solenoid and a ferrite projectile. For our research, we constructed a microcontroller-based prototype to test several new enhancements, including the use of a bipolar current pulse, a stepped multilayer coil with non-uniform winding densities, and the replacement of conventional ferrite projectiles with a neodymium permanent magnet. These modifications were designed to reduce energy loss and improve projectile acceleration by changing magnetic field strength and effectively controlling the magnetic flux. The experimental results show that the proposed methods resulted in significant efficiency improvements, with the varying current pulse and stepped coil design providing enhanced magnetic force at key points in the projectile's path, and the permanent magnet projectile contributing to higher velocities and efficiencies by leveraging the current pulses. Our findings suggest that combining these enhancements significantly improves coil gun performance, achieving higher velocities and efficiencies. These findings can be applied to future coil gun developments, such as multi-stage coil gun systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_07594
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Design and Characterization of High Efficiency Single-stage Electromagnetic Coil Guns
Chen, Sophia
Peng, Annie
Chen, Ava
Liu, Takyiu
Systems and Control
This study presents several novel approaches to improve the efficiency of a single-stage coil gun. Conventional designs typically feature a uniformly wound solenoid and a ferrite projectile. For our research, we constructed a microcontroller-based prototype to test several new enhancements, including the use of a bipolar current pulse, a stepped multilayer coil with non-uniform winding densities, and the replacement of conventional ferrite projectiles with a neodymium permanent magnet. These modifications were designed to reduce energy loss and improve projectile acceleration by changing magnetic field strength and effectively controlling the magnetic flux. The experimental results show that the proposed methods resulted in significant efficiency improvements, with the varying current pulse and stepped coil design providing enhanced magnetic force at key points in the projectile's path, and the permanent magnet projectile contributing to higher velocities and efficiencies by leveraging the current pulses. Our findings suggest that combining these enhancements significantly improves coil gun performance, achieving higher velocities and efficiencies. These findings can be applied to future coil gun developments, such as multi-stage coil gun systems.
title Design and Characterization of High Efficiency Single-stage Electromagnetic Coil Guns
topic Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.07594