Electro-thermal behavior of solid armatures

Author

Angeli, Marco ; Cardelli, Ermanno

Author_Institution

Inst. of Energetic, Perugia Univ., Italy

Volume

35

Issue

1

fYear

1999

fDate

1/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

47

Lastpage

52

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the electro-thermal behavior of solid armatures in railguns. This discussion is based on a review of results obtained by a theory that takes into account the three-dimensional nature of melting and vaporizing of the contact surface between rail and armature. This theory is numerically treated by an integral approach based on a suitable decomposition of rails and armature in hexahedrons, bricks and filamentary elements. After a recall of the main points of this theory and the related numerical technique, this review paper describes the principal features about the current flow, the heat production and exchange, the presence of liquid and vapor phases at the contact face of the armature, derived by this theory. In particular the shape of the melt front and the critical transition velocity predicted are in agreement with the experimental observations

Keywords

heat transfer; integral equations; melting; railguns; skin effect; vaporisation; armature contact face; contact surface; critical transition velocity; current flow; electro-thermal behavior; heat exchange; heat production; integral equations; melt front shape; railguns; skin effect; solid armatures; three-dimensional melting behaviour; three-dimensional vaporizing behaviour; transition metal materials; Acceleration; Current density; Production; Railguns; Rails; Skin effect; Solids; Surface treatment; Temperature distribution; Thermal conductivity;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.738374

Filename

738374