The work proposed will result in a complete, preliminary system design of an electromagnetic projectile launcher, based on the star eml concept developed by american advanced technologies. The completed design will permit the air force to compare the performance, weight and size of the star eml with other concepts being investigated. The star eml system is of interest to the air force because the star system can transfer the most energy to multi-kilogram projectiles per unit launcher length when compared to rail guns, rail gun derrivatives, and coil guns, power conditioning system minimizes resistive losses and inductive energy storage requires, no active switching or opening switches, delivers an equal amount of energy to the projectile along each unit length of launcher, handles only the energy being transferred to the projectile per unit length, all of which results in the most efficient (> 90%), minimum weight and volume power conditioning system possible. The star eml geometry eliminates the mass ablation/velocity saturation problems experienced by rail guns while providing magnetic projectile levitation and centering. Phase II of this program will complete the design, fabrication, operation of a scaled down proof of principle experiment as determined by air force requirements and the funding available for phase II.
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