| Author | Message | ||
     Andrew |
I have read your whole article on the 10-minute railgun (very cool), but i still dont really understant how the first railgun works. Something to do with two magnetic fields at right angles? Also, i have read about other (full-sised) railguns where no permanent magnets are used. I would guess that magnets are needed in the small version to strengthen a magnetic field, probably because there is less curent used. Is this correct? Please explain. | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) |
Large railguns use huge currents that generate their own magnetic fields. Our version is a type of permanent magnet motor. The current traveling up the wheel and down the other interacts with the field of the magnet, causing the magnet to be pushed forward. | ||
| Andrew |
Thank you for answering so quickly! I know that it would be very dangerous, etc. to build a large railgun, but just out of interest: At what voltage/current would the railgun start to work without magnets? Does it depend on the size of the projectile or tracks? How would one figure out how much voltage/current is needed? And thanks again! | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) |
The Lorentz force scales with the square of the current. For the type of railgun you are describing, the currents are usually several thousand amperes, to several million amperes. | ||
| Andrew |
Well, you dont have to worry about me building one. I couldnt get access to that much current even if i tried ;) |
