Large and small caliber railgun solid armatures: experimental results

Solid/transitioning armature performance results of two railgun programs is reported. Solid armature experiments continue for 15 and 90 mm bore guns. These armatures have been accelerated to over 2300 m/s. For the armatures tested, typical muzzle voltage measurements show the armature drop remains less than 50 V for velocities under 1000 to 1200 m/s; at velocities above 1000 m/s to 1200 m/s, the contact forms a hybrid armature. Armature performance data presented include muzzle voltage, gun current, armature resistance, total energy deposited in the armature, launch velocity, launch package muzzle kinetic energy, peak armature action, armature contact wear, and physical examination of recovered armatures. These data are separately summarized for each gun type and demonstrate armature survival at high current densities, bore pressures, and specific action.>