382results about "Electromagnetic launchers" patented technology

An electronically reconfigurable battery includes a number of battery modules selectively interconnected by a number of electronic switches, wherein a selectable number of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states. In a parallel configuration, the battery provides power to a primary load, such as a propulsion load for a vehicle. In a series configuration, the battery is configured to provide a high voltage and high power output to a short-term and / or pulsed load, such as an additional load provided on the vehicle. Current from the battery is limited in one of three ways: a) by the batteries themselves; b) a current limiting device or system in series with the total erected battery; or c) a single level power converter or current limiter that is used to erect and charge the capacitor bank in a sequential one level at a time manner until the battery is fully erected and the capacitor is fully charged.

An electronically reconfigurable battery includes a number of battery modules selectively interconnected by a number of electronic switches, wherein a selectable number of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states. In a parallel configuration, the battery provides power to a primary load, such as a propulsion load for a vehicle. In a series configuration, the battery is configured to provide a high voltage and high power output to a short-term and / or pulsed load, such as an additional load provided on the vehicle. Current from the battery is limited in one of three ways: a) by the batteries themselves; b) a current limiting device or system in series with the total erected battery; or c) a single level power converter or current limiter that is used to erect and charge the capacitor bank in a sequential one level at a time manner until the battery is fully erected and the capacitor is fully charged.

A rail gun launcher consists of an armature where a magnetic core with a multiple turn conductive coil, two parallel conductive rails on which terminals of the coil contact and slide, and a non-magnetic conductive barrel enclosing the rails and the armature. The coil partially encloses the magnetic core to shift magnetic equilibrium. When an AC power source is connected to the rails, the coil generates a source magnetism around the coil as well as an induced magnetism on the conductive barrel in an opposite direction through the magnetic core. The source magnetism and the induced magnetism are shifted in magnetic equilibrium and in opposite direction thereby repelling the armature forward. This repulsive force travels with the armature and is continuous from breech to muzzle and propels the armature forward to a high velocity without control circuitry or commutation.

A deployment unit, for use by a provided electronic weapon, includes an electrode, a propellant, a first circuit that receives a first signal from the weapon for activating the propellant that propels the electrode toward a provided target, and a second circuit that receives a second signal from the weapon for passing a current through the electrode and through the target to interfere with locomotion by the target. The second circuit is decoupled from the first circuit to the extent that the second signal is insufficient to activate the propellant. A method performed by a deployment unit for an electronic weapon includes receiving from the weapon a first signal for activating a propellant of the deployment unit that propels an electrode of the deployment unit toward a provided target; and receiving a second signal from the weapon for passing a current through the electrode and through the target to interfere with locomotion by the target. The maximum open circuit voltage of the first signal is less than the maximum open circuit voltage of the second signal. The propellant cannot be activated without receiving the first signal. The propellant is not activated in response to receiving the second signal.

A ball tossing apparatus includes a support frame and a plurality of launch devices fixed to the support frame and arranged in a two-dimensional array. The launch devices include cylinders having a spring fixed therein, with a ball carrier fixed to the spring. The balls are retained in a loaded position (springs compressed) and then upon activation of the launch devices are launched vertically into the air to the sports player. In another embodiment, the launch devices include a rotating lever which is acted on by a biasing member to launch the ball vertically from the cylinder. A method for launching the balls includes the steps of loading the balls into a two dimensional array, and then launching the balls according to a launch sequence. An electronic control system for use with the ball tossing apparatus includes a launch module for launching the loaded balls in the plurality of launch devices according to a launch sequence. The launch sequences can be randomly generated, programmed by the sports player, or retrieved from memory. The launch of the balls can also be controlled remotely.

Another apparatous, according to various aspects of the present invention, produces contraction in skeltal muscles of a target to impede locomotion by the target. The apparatus is used with a provided deployment unit that deploys an electrode away from the apparatus. The electrode conducts a current through the target. The apparatus includes a terminal; producing sub-system for producing an electric arc to warn the target without conducting a current through the target; conducting sub-system for conducting the current in series through the terminal and through the target; initiating sub-system for inititaing deployment of the electrode; and an operator interface. The operator interface further facilitates, prior to deployment of the electrode, repeated operation of any one or both of the producing sub-system and the conducting sub-system. The operator interface further facilitates,after deployment of the electrode, repeated operation of any one or both of the conducting sub-system and the initiating sub-system, each operation of the initiating sub-system being with a respective further electrode of the deployment unit.

The present disclosure relates to a launch system, a launch vehicle for use with the launch system, and methods of launching a payload utilizing the launch vehicle and / or the launch system. The disclosure can provide for delivery of the payload at a terrestrial location, an Earth orbital location, or an extraorbital location. The launch vehicle can comprise a payload, a propellant tank, an electrical heater wherein propellant, such as a light gas (e.g., hydrogen) is electrically heated to significantly high temperatures, and an exhaust nozzle from which the heated propellant expands to provide an exhaust velocity of, for example, 7-16 km / sec. The launch vehicle can be utilized with the launch system, which can further comprise a launch tube formed of at least one tube, which can be electrically conductive and which can be combined with at least one insulator tube. An electrical energy source, such as a battery bank and associated inductor, can be provided.

The invention discloses a rotary multi-pole moment field electromagnetic propeller. The propeller mainly comprises a magnetic field coil, a projectile armature, a power supply circuit, a projectile location detection sensor and a synchronous accurate control chip, wherein the magnetic field coil adopts a multi-pole moment coil assembly, and the hierarchically arranged multi-pole moment coil assembly extends along the moving direction of the projectile armature; a flight duct is arranged between the multi-pole moment coil assembly and the projectile armature; and each coil in the multi-pole moment coil assembly is connected with the power supply circuit so as to acquire discharge pulse current. The rotary multi-pole moment field electromagnetic propeller can generate stronger axial electromagnetic accelerated thrust on the projectile armature, has the advantages of large electromagnetic accelerated force, large transmitted projectile mass, high outlet speed, balanced rotary motion, stable suspension and high efficiency and environmental friendliness, can be widely applied in the fields of locomotive thrust, rocket assist, electromagnetic forming, rotary excavation machinery and the like, and particularly in the technology of vacuum pipeline transporation.

An insulation structure and a method for forming an insulation structure on a surface provide both mechanical integrity and insulative capabilities in applications and environments involving extreme temperatures and compressive forces. The insulation structure includes aerogel agglomerates formed by combining ceramic particles with aerogel particles. The insulation structure may further include ceramic particles. The aerogel agglomerates and ceramic particles are thermally sprayed on a surface to form a graded or layered structure. The method for forming an insulation structure includes spray-drying and post-drying a mixture of ceramic particles, aerogel particles, water, and a binder.

The invention discloses an electromagnetic fire extinguishing bomb launching system for a high-rise building, and relates to high-rise building fire ground rescuing equipment. The positive end of a pulse power source is connected to one ends of multiple levels of drive coils through a plurality of closing switches. Each closing switch is correspondingly connected with the corresponding level of drive coil. The negative end of the pulse power source is connected with the other ends of the multiple levels of drive coils. A propellant projectile armature is arranged on one side of each drive coil and matched with a projectile, and the drive coils are connected with energy storage elements or energy releasing elements. A synchronous measurement and control module is arranged at the inlet end of each level of drive coil and connected with a photoelectric detecting system connected to a control system, and the control system is connected with all the closing switches. According to the electromagnetic fire extinguishing bomb launching system, the launching speed can be adjusted, and electromagnetic launching is environment-friendly, free of pollution, low in noise, good in safety and higher in safety for firefighters.

A projectile includes a body, a penetrator disposed at least partially within the body for penetrating a target or barrier, and means for propelling the penetrator from the body. A method includes directing a projectile toward a target or barrier and propelling a penetrator from within a body of the projectile. An apparatus for propelling a penetrator from a projectile includes a high energy power source and means for guiding the penetrator from the projectile.

An electromagnetic railgun projectile is disclosed which includes an aeroshell having a substantially flat surface extending along the length thereof. The substantially flat surface is configured to increase the lift-to-drag ratio of the projectile during reentry. The projectile also includes an armature integrated into the aeroshell substantially near the center-of-gravity of the projectile, and a plurality of extendable flaps attached to the aeroshell. The flaps are capable of stabilizing the projectile during an unguided portion of its flight and maneuvering the projectile during a guided portion of its flight.

A technique for launching a missile that avoids some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. In particular, the illustrative embodiment of the present invention uses an electromagnetic catapult to throw the missile clear of the launch platform—with sufficient velocity to attain aerodynamic flight—before the missile's engine is ignited.

Multi-directional currents are generated in a medium by cyclically reversing the direction of a conventional current applied to at least one of at least two electrodes so that an electromotive force (EMF) pulse travels from side of the electrode to the other, changing the direction of current in the medium. The multi-directional currents may be used to accelerate electrolytic processes such as generation of hydrogen by water electrolysis, to sterilize water for drinking, to supply charging current to a battery or capacitor, including a capacitive thrust module, in a way that extends the life and / or improves the performance of the battery or capacitor, to increase the range of an electromagnetic projectile launcher, and to increase the light output of a cold cathode light tube, to name just a few of the potential applications for the multi-directional currents.

The invention provides an electromagnetic gun. The gun tube is provided with multiple hole pairs in the vertical direction of the axis, and each hole pair is composed of two small holes arranged in the opposite side walls of the gun tube. Each copper coil, capacitors, each photoelectric triode and each light emitting diode are connected to one control circuit board; the photoelectric triode and the light emitting diode are respectively arranged in the two small holes of the hole pair of the gun tube; the copper coil wraps the hole pair of the gun tube; the control circuit board and the gun tube are erected on the capacitors; and the gun tube is internally provided with a bullet. The control circuit board is externally connected to a power supply so as to charge the capacitors. When the bullet moves to the hole pair, the control circuit board controls the capacitors to discharge electricity to the copper coil according to the change due to induction signal shielding, and the cooper coil can generate a strong magnetic field to drive the bullet to accelerate. According to the invention, a synchronization problem of multi-stage coils in an acceleration process is solved, the overheating of the coils can be reduced, and the electromagnetic gun is simple and compact in structure, is convenient to operate, is easy to adjust, is low in cost, and is high in stability and reliability.

An electromagnetic coil gun system includes a launcher having a barrel with a longitudinal bore therethrough, and a plurality of longitudinally extending electrical excitation coils arranged circumferentially around the bore of the barrel so that a magnetic field produced by an electrical current in each electrical excitation coil penetrates into the bore. Each electrical excitation coil is independently activated by the electrical current passed therethrough. There is a projectile sized to be received within the bore of the barrel and having a circumferential armature at a tail end thereof, and a nose end. The projectile placed into the bore is fired by producing a traveling sequence of propulsive currents in the electrical excitation coils moving in a direction from the breech end toward the muzzle end of the barrel, so that a traveling propulsive magnetic field produced by the electrical excitation coils interacts with the armature of the projectile to propel the projectile in the direction from the breech end toward the muzzle end of the barrel. Simultaneously, a traveling sequence of field-nulling currents in the electrical excitation coils moves in the direction from the breech end toward the muzzle end of the barrel but closer to the muzzle end of the barrel than the traveling sequence of propulsive currents and spatially leading the traveling sequence of propulsive currents. The field-nulling currents are in a circumferential direction opposite to the propulsive currents, thereby at least partially nulling the traveling propulsive magnetic field at the nose end of the projectile.

An electromagnetic missile launcher is disclosed that provides greater flexibility for use with a variety of missile types and also provides potentially higher performance and efficiency as compared to prior-art electromagnetic missile launchers.

The invention discloses a spiral acceleration-type electromagnetic gun system and an obtaining method of the spiral acceleration-type electromagnetic gun system. The spiral acceleration-type electromagnetic gun system comprises a spiral-type superconductive electromagnetic boosting subsystem, a high-temperature superconductive magnetic suspension subsystem and a superconductive magnetic confinement subsystem. An electromagnetic gun boosting process is carried out in a spiral acceleration mode through the spiral-type superconductive electromagnetic boosting subsystem and the requirement for impulse power of a boosting system is lowered; a superconductive magnetic suspension technology is adopted in the high-temperature superconductive magnetic suspension subsystem for eliminating mechanical friction, so that ablation of a projectile body and a gun barrel is avoided; high centrifugal force generated because the spiral radius is small in the acceleration process of the projectile body is overcome by the superconductive magnetic confinement subsystem according to a superconductive magnetic confinement technology; heat-dissipation-free design of the gun barrel is achieved by the electromagnetic gun system according to the electrical-resistance-free characteristic of a superconductive material, and therefore the high-firing-speed continuous firing capacity is achieved. According to the spiral acceleration-type electromagnetic gun system, the spiral gun barrel and the spiral acceleration mode of the projectile body are adopted, so that high outlet speed is easy to achieve; no mechanical friction and ablation influence on the gun barrel exists in the whole firing process and the gun barrel can be used for a long time; active control over a boosting coil is not needed and the problem that a traditional halved joint electromagnetic gun is difficult to control is solved; forced cooling and heat-dissipating waiting do not needed to be conducted on the gun barrel in the process of continuous firing and the continuous firing capacity of the spiral acceleration-type electromagnetic gun system is far higher than that of the traditional electromagnetic gun.

Apparatus for inductive braking of a projectile are disclosed. Embodiments include a receiver that has a unidirectional conductor having a closed conductive pathway that encircles a passageway for a moving projectile. The unidirectional conductor permits current to flow through it in substantially only one direction around the passageway. As the projectile and its associated magnetic field move past the unidirectional conductor, the moving magnetic field induces a current flow through the closed conductive pathway, which in turn generates a magnetic field behind the projectile having the same polarity as the projectile's field. The two fields attract one another, which both exerts a braking force on the projectile and tends to align the two fields. Alignment of these fields centers the projectile away from the passageway wall. Because the unidirectional conductor permits current to flow in substantially only the direction that produces a field having the same polarity as the moving field, the opposite-polarity repulsive magnetic field that would otherwise be generated ahead of the projectile, which would otherwise deflect the projectile from its path, is suppressed. Methods of inductive braking are also disclosed.

The invention provides an electromagnetic transmitter with annular connectors to overcome the defects that power is supplied to an existing electromagnetic gun through a guide rail, contact and friction exist between a warhead and the guide rail, so that the speed cannot be increased, and sparks and ablation may happen. According to the electromagnetic transmitter with the annular connectors, a warhead coil and a power source are connected through the annular connectors, power can be cut off automatically, and a warhead can be disengaged from a transmitting tube opening when the warhead flies out of the transmitting tube opening. Photoelectric controllers and electromagnetic relays are used for controlling the current of various coils and the direction of a switch, the multiple transmitting coils can exert electromagnetic force at the same time, the warhead can obtain larger electromagnetic force and higher acceleration, the manufacturing technology is very simple, and the electromagnetic transmitter is more economical and reliable and can be put into use immediately.

A technique for launching a missile that avoids some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. In particular, the illustrative embodiment of the present invention uses an electromagnetic catapult to throw the missile clear of the launch platform—with sufficient velocity to attain aerodynamic flight—before the missile's engine is ignited.

The electromagnetic energy superhigh speed shooting cannon consists of electromagnetic energy shooting unit, magnetic energy bullet, gun barrel, aiming and navigating system, current rectifying and controlling system, HF switching power supply, bullet feeding system, bullet speeding system, electric power system, conducting tracks, T-shaped magnetic energy collector, cooling system, air bufferingsystem, barbette, etc. The present invention shoot bullet through the combination of magnetic force and electromagnetic energy and fastens the bullet flying speed and shooting rate extremely.

The present invention considers the problem of energizing large electric current, electromagnetic driving force and acceleration in coilguns by means of electromagnetic resonant oscillations, both in the armature, that represents the oscillatory contour consisting of the coil and the capacitor and in the stator coils.

A gun barrel for firing a projectile and particularly a rail gun barrel that comprises a pair of spaced apart rails and a pair of spaced apart insulators, which separate the rails, and together define a composite bore, all disposed centrally within an outer rigid tube. A prestressed filament-wound polymeric resin shell immediately surrounds and applies compressive stress to this composite, bore-defining structure. A pressure medium, positioned between the shell and the interior surface of the outer tube, is operative to apply compressive stress to the shell at least at locations generally radially outward of the rails. The compressive stresses applied by the combination of the prestressed shell and the pressure medium are additive and effectively preload the rails and the composite bore structure to resist overall forces encountered during projectile firing which, in a rail gun, include asymmetric loads upon the rails from electromagnetic repulsion forces and also axisymmetric bursting forces.

The invention discloses a superconducting electromagnetic rapid and continuous transmitting system and an implementation method of the superconducting electromagnetic rapid and continuous transmitting system. The system comprises a high-temperature superconducting magnetic suspension sub-system, a superconducting electromagnetic propelling sub-system and a superconducting magnetic suspension flywheel pulsed power supply sub-system. The high-temperature superconducting magnetic suspension sub-system comprises a suspension unit and an external magnetic excitation source. The superconducting electromagnetic propelling sub-system comprises a stator body, a transmitted body, a refrigeration device, a low-temperature heat insulation device and a foundation platform. The superconducting magnetic suspension flywheel pulsed power supply sub-system comprises a superconducting magnetic suspension flywheel and a pulse compensation motor and used for conducting energy storage through the flywheel supported by a superconducting magnetic suspension bearing. By means of the superconducting electromagnetic rapid and continuous transmitting system, non-contact transmitting of a carrier is achieved, and the propelling system can be repeatedly used for a long time; the energy storage density which is far higher than that of a super-capacitor can be achieved through the high-speed superconducting magnetic suspension flywheel, and therefore the electromagnetic force density of the propelling system can be effectively increased; the whole electromagnetic transmitting system is simple in control technology and solves the problems that a traditional electromagnetic transmitting system is large in size and complex in structure; the electromagnetic transmitting system is basically made of superconducting materials and has the capacity for conducting continuous transmitting in a short time.