In Situ Current Distribution Measurements in C-Shaped Armatures

Abstract

The knowledge of the current density distribution in C-shaped armatures during a railgun experiment can be of crucial importance in the understanding of transition mechanisms and optimization of the electrical contact between rails and armature. That is why we applied during single-shot experiments with C-shaped armatures the measurement technique described, in order to deduce the spatial and temporal current density distribution of C-shaped armatures during the experiment. Based on our experimental results, we observe nonuniform current density distributions in the armature, including areas with high current densities and very low current densities. We compare our findings with the state of the post shot rail surfaces and to strengthen our interpretation we performed 3-D simulations using the COMSOL Multiphysics program.