My first multistage reluctance coilgun

tomtechtod, Sun Apr 19 2020, 01:11AM

Modular multistage coilgun

This coilgun consists of several modules, each module contains 14 stages.
My main goal was to increase efficiency by switching the coils off when the projectile (which is at least double the length of the coil) exists the coil.

Since the efficiency for accelerating ferromagnetic projectiles decreases the farther we saturate the projectile, my thought was that I need a lot of very small stages that accelerate over a longer barrel.

I only built 28 stages due to the high cost involved.

Each stage is a hard-switched asymmetrical full-bridge switching a constant current of 300A.

The efficiency is about 6.2 to 7.5% and I think it could go up to 15% at 5 to 6 modules. Higher efficiency allows for physically smaller capacitors.

The low voltage is good for safety but actually decreases overall efficiency I suppose.