Railgun is an electrically powered projectile launcher that uses magnetic fields to accelerate a conductive projectile to hypervelocities. It was first conceptualized in 1918 but early prototypes were not tested until the 1970s. The U.S. Navy has achieved muzzle velocities over 3.2km/s from railgun tests. Advantages over traditional gunpowder weapons include greater range, speed and efficiency with no explosive propellants required. Current challenges include thermal management of the rails and developing more compact pulsed power supplies.

1. PRESENTED BY:SAURAV KUMAR
1113340188
ME-5 C

2. • WHAT IS A RAILGUN ?
• HISTORY OF RAILGUN
• HOW DOES IT WOKS ?
• BESIC PHYSICS BEHIND RAILGUN
• CURRENT RESEARCH AND
DEVLOPMENT
• APPLICATION OF RAILGUNS
• ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES
• LONG/SHORT TERM GOALS

3. •
A Railgun is an electrically powered electromagnetic
projectile launcher.
• As its name shows “a gun in which a pair of rails is
used”.
• It is used to propel a solideven the hypervelocity, which
slug at
is capable to penetrating
toughest enemy
armor.
• It fire ameans no usemetal which is non–propellants
conductive
based
of fuel or explosives.

4. • A Rail gunaccelerate a sliding metal conductor along two
uses magnetic field created by strong electrical
current to
rails.
• Hypervelocity electric
rail guns provide
revolutionary
advances in lethality,
range, survivability
and sustainability

5. • First railgun idea was given by French inventor Louis
Octave in 1918 by designed an electric cannon.
• In world war 2, the German Commander Luftusaffe
issued a specification for a railgun based anti-aircraft
gun.
• The first railgun is tested in 1970 at the Australian
National University
• In 2003, Ian Nab plans to build a system to launch
supply into space using railgun technology

6. • When the projectile is inserted between rails, it complete
circuit.
• When supply is given to the rails behavesformedelectromegnet,
as an
creating a magnetic field inside the loop
by length of
rails up to the position of armature.
• According toconductor.hand rule magnetic field circulates
the right
around each
• Due toplanemagneticby central axis ofisthe rails andright angle
net
field in rails (B) directed at
to the
formed
armature,
in combination with current (I) in the armature.
• This produce Lorentz force which accelerates the projectile
along the rails.

7. 1.LORENTZ
FORCE:- If a charged particle q moves with
velocity v in the presence of electric field E and a magnetic
field B, then it will experience a force.
F = q(E + B x v)
qE - Electric force
qv x B – Megnetic force
2.RIGHT HAND RULE:-
When a wire carrying an
electric current placed in a magnetic field the force is
act at right angle of current.

9. •U.S. Navy has achieved a 32 MJ
muzzle kinetic energy with prototype
•Current range is capable of reaching
100 nautical miles in several minutes
(hypersonic)
•Maximum speed which achieved by
a rail gun is 3.2 km/sec of 3.6 kg
projectile.
•U.S researchers are going to launch a spacecraft using
railgun technology.

11. • As weapon in modern warfare:-first military railguns will be produced for next generation of
cruisers
- projectiles using kinetic energy to destroy target
-range of railgun 2-3 times bigger than standard technologies
(Medium Range missiles) and 10 times bigger than naval
cannons
•Trigger for Inertial Confinement Fusion.
•Launch or launch assist of spacecraft

12. • The railgun has a much larger possible power than a powder
gun .
• Currently, we have been able to reach velocities around 9 km/s
with the railgun; whereas, the maximum velocity a powder gun
•
can reach is less than 8.5 km/s. It is believed that the railgun can
reach up to 140 km/s.
Since the railgun depends entirely on a massive current, there is
no need for fuel or explosives. This is more efficient in three
ways:
-The risk is greatly reduced for the sailors handling the weapon
systems.
-The weight of the entire system is reduced.
-The smaller size frees up a lot of space, which is crucial on
cramped battleships.

13. • One of the biggest problems is with maintaining the
•
•
structural integrity of the rails as they undergo such
stressful conditions.
The thermal management of the entire system,
especially as the rails increase in size needs to improve.
The pulsed power unit and supply could be compacted
and decreased in size, as it encompasses most of the
system.
• Power supply too big and heavy – needs 3-story building and
there is no commercial interest.

14. • Fully electric destroyers and battleships.
• Modified electromagnetic railguns outfitted for aircraft.
• Small battery packs that are powerful enough to power
handheld .
• Launch assist system for space craft.
SHORT TERM GOALS
• Increase the fire rate of the current prototype up to ten rounds
per minute.
• Find a more efficient combination of metal conductors for the
rails and for the armature

15. THE FUTURISTIC WEAPON
‘’RAILGUN’’
THANK YOU
ANY QUESTION
?