Performance of the discrete electrode railgun

A novel concept for the DE (discrete electrode) railgun is proposed, and preliminary experiments of plasma acceleration were conducted. The fused DE railgun could regulate the armature current distribution so that it would be more localized than that in the normal railgun. Velocity of the armature current propagation would then be increased significantly. This result, together with a high armature voltage measured in the fused DE railgun, suggests that a two-dimensional current distribution, such as a bending of the armature current, should be considered in order to evaluate the electromagnetic force of the DE railgun armature. Although regulation of the branch electrode currents introduces technological complexity, the DE structure is expected to yield a new approach to electromagnetic launcher development