A launcher barrel for the lethality test system railgun

Abstract

A reusable plasma armature railgun barrel design is described. This barrel was designed and is being fabricated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory for use in a kinetic energy lethality test system. The performance goals for this barrel are (1) that it be able to withstand the loads generated when accelerating a 30-g projectile to a velocity of 15 km/s without sustaining permanent damage, (2) that it have multiple shot capability, and, (3) that it be capable of being repaired and/or modified. The barrel consists of a multipiece modular core contained in an outer structural shell. The core assembly, composed of rails and insulators, is accessible for repair or replacement. The outer structural shell is designed to allow access to the core and is used to preload the core compressively. The barrel design incorporates various features that will allow the use of stronger and stiffer materials such as structural ceramics and reinforced coppers as they become available.