Analysis of the Dynamic Behavior of a Linear Induction Type Catapult

The electromagnetic launcher, widely studied as electromagnetic gun, may also be used as a catapult for electromagnetic acceleration of aircrafts to replace steam catapult. These launchers can be realized utilizing a synchronous or asynchronous type of linear accelerator. In this paper, the second realization, which is the use of an asynchronous type of linear accelerator, is considered. Thus, a system consisting of a fixed part, realized with several sections and a moving part that brings the sled supporting the object to launch, is proposed. Each section contains a three-phase winding fed by different frequencies. The goal of this paper is to investigate moving part braking strategies once the mass has been launched. It is proposed that a method of electromagnetic braking can possibly allow the recovery of the kinetic energy.