Rail Gun

[GTO Assassin]

For those of us who dont do nerd, what the hell is a rail gun?

Scooter

[NickS VR4]

A rail gun is a gun that does not use explosives. It takes a metalic object and uses magnetic fields to propel the object forward. You can imagine it as a long barrel with a moving magnet (not actually, but instead coils), as the object moves forward, so does the magnet, and it keeps pulling the metal object faster and faster until it reaches the end of the barrel and it is shot.

Now i'm sure there are different methods to get this done, but that is the basic idea.

[Goallie11]

Almost right, the whole barrel, or parallel plates in a rail guns case, is composed of magnets. If you know how a maglev train works then you know how a railgun works. the magnets rapidly switch on right before the projectile gets to them and off as soon as it goes by, propelling the projectile forward.

[NickS VR4]

I should have said magnetic force. And yeah, I should also say that besides for the projectile, I do not believe there are any moving parts.

[Hammer]

Each shot must produce a lot of heat. So I wonder what the max rate of fire is and if the heat limits number of shots per minute?

[Goallie11]

I think they're planning on ten shots a minute from the article I read.

[Alex3000gt]

That isn't fire. It is the air behind the supersonic projectile turning into plasma.

[zapman2000]

its actually alot futher along than this video shows we already have front mount turrets developed navy just doesnt want to buy them yet(i think atomic energies is the company that has made the cannon)

also the projectile is non ferros and is pushed by a ferros metal plate kinda like a SABOT round the nick projectile moves so fast that it seperates the atmosphere infront of it cuaseing engouh friction to set it on fire as it travels

also the range is based on power put in and can be give a ballistic trajectory for short ranges or for curve of the earth effect to hit a target at sea past the horrizen

for those interested projectile is still accelerating at the point of any ballistic weapon when it hits its ballistics trajectorie fall path start
also the damage does not come from the projectile being shot but the impact force behind it, it would go through a ship from foward to aft and continue if shot at full power

also it would require a nuclear reactor at this point in time to be and effective and quick repeating shot weapon
there is a massive wearhouse full of capacitors to power the one shot in the video.

[EvanH]

Almost right, the whole barrel, or parallel plates in a rail guns case, is composed of magnets. If you know how a maglev train works then you know how a railgun works. the magnets rapidly switch on right before the projectile gets to them and off as soon as it goes by, propelling the projectile forward.

That is a coil gun.

It is just two rods of whatever metal for a rail gun. A rail gun uses in upwards of 3 million amps at low voltage like 24v or so, and passes it through one rail, to the projectile, to the other rail, completing a circuit. Then an electromagnetic field is produced and rapidly accelerates the projectile outward while the field follows the projectile down the rails till the circuit is no longer complete.

And yea, the flames are plasma, and parts of the projectile that is touching the rails that are vaporizing.

[Amphiron]

That is a coil gun.

It is just two rods of whatever metal for a rail gun. A rail gun uses in upwards of 3 million amps at low voltage like 24v or so, and passes it through one rail, to the projectile, to the other rail, completing a circuit. Then an electromagnetic field is produced and rapidly accelerates the projectile outward while the field follows the projectile down the rails till the circuit is no longer complete.

And yea, the flames are plasma, and parts of the projectile that is touching the rails that are vaporizing.

coil gun = same thing as a solenoid basically right? just it doesn't stop it before it shoots out the end