Analysis of the ultimate kinematic characteristics of railgun accelerators of solids

A comparative analysis of the dependences of the ultimate (under heating conditions) velocity on the dimensions and thermal properties of the projectile and on the length of the railgun is performed on the basis of a numerical solution of two-dimensional unsteady equations of magnetic-field diffusion and heat transfer. Homogeneous and multilayer projectiles and homogeneous rails and rails with a resistive coating are considered. It is shown that the ultimate kinematic characteristics of railgun accelerators of solids can be considerably increased by changing the structure and thermal properties of the materials of the projectile and the electrodes.