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Discovery Channel 7KJ induction launcher

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Barry

Wed Aug 13 2008, 06:25PM

Registered Member #90 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:44PM
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 301

There's a big coilgun on TV in August 2008. Look for:

Discovery Project Earth
"Engineering the Future"
August 22 at 9pm on channel 8 in Seattle
"Professor Roger Angel at the University of Arizona believes that placing trillions of lenses in space can diffract the power of the sun to reduce global warming.â€

How do you launch a trillion lenses? With a giant coilgun, of course. They commissioned a 7KJ coilgun demonstrator by the f/x technicians of Impossible Pictures in England.

I was an 'extra' on location during filming in the Arizona desert at an abandoned silver mine and did a little consulting for the coilgun design. They built a sci-fi looking induction launcher using a flat spiral coil.

Thereâ€™s a good chance I'll be in the background a few times. You might see me unveil the massive coilgun when the talent arrives. I could be in the background carrying empty jerry cans from a superfluous army truck. You might notice my shoes are covered with gaffer tape. Admire my giant rubber high-voltage gloves on the lead f/x technician. Oh yeah, there's a coilgun in there somewhere, too.

Look for the episode! I'll add more tech details after it airs.
Cheers, Barry

Neil

Fri Aug 29 2008, 02:31PM

Registered Member #1458 Joined: Wed Apr 30 2008, 09:47AM
Location:
Posts: 51

Interesting idea that...professer... had, but when the planet starts to overcool getting them down might be a problem

Might also prove a little difficult to track the location of a trillion objects so satelites and the space shuttle dont hit them when they are out there, sounds like an awful lot of "space junk"

Is good though you maybe having got yourself on TV, hopefully theres a few shots of you in the show. Shame though I cant see it though living over here in Australia

Sync

Fri Aug 29 2008, 03:16PM

Registered Member #510 Joined: Sat Feb 10 2007, 09:28AM
Location: Hannover
Posts: 12

They are halfway to the sun so they won't be near any shuttles :P

Ken M.

Fri Aug 29 2008, 08:43PM

Registered Member #618 Joined: Sat Mar 31 2007, 04:15AM
Location: Us-Great Lakes
Posts: 628

I was gonna watch it but had to work sat 6am so missed the episode.

Barry

Sat Aug 30 2008, 02:48PM

Registered Member #90 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:44PM
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 301

The "Solar Sunshade" episode with the coilgun will premier on Sept 22 in the states. For all the listings refer to the Discovery Project Earth schedule.

It turns out the first "episode" was an overview of global warming and a quick introduction to the concepts they're investigating. There was but a brief glimpse of the coilgun.

The series of episodes are loosely connected by the principle scientist (Basil Singer) talking to the various investigators, and working with the prototypes that were built. Some of these prototypes, like the 7KJ coilgun, were commissioned by the producer, Impossible Pictures, UK.

Here's a quick preview of an 'alien lander' concept of coilguns, parked in the Arizona desert (duh, where else? lol).

Cheers, Barry
The coilgun has landed ... take me to your bleeder (resistor)

Firefox

Sat Aug 30 2008, 04:17PM

Registered Member #1389 Joined: Thu Mar 13 2008, 12:50AM
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 346

Very witty, Barry. That looks like an awesome enclosure to the coil gun. Makes it look all professional and such. Kind of like what would happen if Dr. Spark built a coil gun, only without the LEDs and clear plastic.

Barry

Sun Aug 31 2008, 03:41AM

Registered Member #90 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:44PM
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 301

The f/x guys at Impossible Pictures UK did an amazing job build the coilgun. It looks pro because it is.

Their lead tech Todd is so talented that he's been in the Scrapheap Challenge show several times. You'll see Todd in several discussion with the lead scientist, Basil, as they fire it several times on camera.

I take no credit whatsoever for the awesome build -- they just know how to do things right for TV. By the way, the coilgun's capacitor bank is flat across the bottom. The right side box holds all the charging gear and meters. The left side box is empty. Looks great but the form does not closely follow function.

Cheers, Barry
what if the Hokey Pokey is what it's all about?

FastMHz

Tue Sept 16 2008, 04:29PM

Registered Member #179 Joined: Thu Feb 16 2006, 02:08AM
Location: Hagerstown, Maryland - Close to Prime Outlets
Posts: 287

I just saw this episode last night...very nice build, though they mentioned it being 10kj rather than 7kj.

I cackled when they said they didn't want to be near it when it fired...remniscent of something I said when looking at my completed bank.

Question: was this an induction launcher or reluctance launcher? When they were describing it it and showing drawings it sounded like a reluctance CG.

Barry

Wed Sept 17 2008, 04:49AM

Registered Member #90 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:44PM
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 301

It's an induction motor. The caps discharge into a flat spiral coil, which pushes against an aluminum disk, which in turn pushes the launch package (which looks like a rocket).

So, no, there is no possible way to scale this design into a multi-stage launcher. But they did measure > 1,000G acceleration.

At one of the higher firing power levels the acceleration forces made the aluminum into a concave disk shape.

Here's a photo of the firing chamber. The chamber exit is toward the left. You can see a yellow spongy thing that catches the aluminum disk. The edge of the disk is next to the coil. Look closely for more annotations.

Barry
Practice safe eating -- always use condiments.

Edit: I'm thwarted again by inserting image into my note. See link to the big photo on my web site.

FastMHz

Wed Sept 17 2008, 09:01PM

Registered Member #179 Joined: Thu Feb 16 2006, 02:08AM
Location: Hagerstown, Maryland - Close to Prime Outlets
Posts: 287

I've had the bowl shaped disc problems too, at only 3.5kj...wonder what'll happen when I fire all 24kj into one almost a foot in diameter?

On another note, how is the coil made in this gun? Also, what was the switch? SCR, gap, ? How did you measure the G-force?

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