Test results for three prototype models of a linear induction launcher

The work on the linear induction launcher (LIL) started with an analytical study that was followed by computer simulations and then was tested by laboratory models. Two mathematical representations have been developed to describe the launcher. The first, based on the field approach with sinusoidal excitation, has been validated by static tests on a small-scale prototype fed at constant current and variable frequency. The second, a transient representation using computer simulation, allows consideration of energization by means of a capacitor bank and a power conditioner. Tests performed on three small-scale prototypes up to 100-m/s muzzle velocities show good agreement with predicted performance