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Registered Member #1805
Joined: Sat Nov 08 2008, 06:29AM
Location:
Posts: 67
Hey,
I finished a coilgun about 2 - 3 months ago which can shoot through 2 soda cans, its made from some camera circuit chargers and 330v 1000uf bank of camera capacitors. I'm quite happy with the power its not really too dangerous but I want to try something different. If I was to build a small railgun and power it by 1000 - 2000 uf at 330v, drilled a round hole through the middle and connected my coil gun to the back of it and wrapped the projectile in alluminium foil would it work? I just want to be able to have it as strong as my coil gun or a little stronger but with a bang and abit of plasma blast out the barrel mainly for looks and fun. My only concern is would the rail degrade much? being only a small amount of power and if they would, how many shots would I get out of it?
Sorry if this has already been asked or is a stupid question :)
Registered Member #1819
Joined: Thu Nov 20 2008, 04:05PM
Location:
Posts: 137
Aluminum foil would probably vaporize instantly. You need something a LOT thicker than that to sustain the current required. Perhaps you could cut the head off of a steel bolt and put thin hex nuts around the bolt; the steel would accomodate the coilgun and the aluminum would be for the railgun.
banned on 5/26/2009 Registered Member #1877
Joined: Mon Dec 22 2008, 02:03AM
Location:
Posts: 147
you could most certainly do that. the aluminum WOULD vaporize, but that is what would make the plasma you are after. just put one layer around your projectile, and when the aluminum vaporizes, you still have a metal projectile to conduct. the only thing you would have to do is divide your bank into 2 pieces. one for the coil and one for the rails. posts pics if you do it!
Registered Member #1805
Joined: Sat Nov 08 2008, 06:29AM
Location:
Posts: 67
What size rails for the railgun should I make? and will alluminium be good? Will the rails last, I dont want to get like 20 shots out of it and it fall apart or something. The projectile is round, 30mm long and 5mm diameter. The coilguns barrel is 6mm inner diameter and 7mm outer diameter. The coilgun will be single stage with a coil still being decided, It's looking to be around 30mm long, 20AWG, 6-8 layers. The capacitors are from disposable camera's with a voltage of 330v and capacitance of around 80uf - 120uf. I have maybe around a max of 5000uf at 330v I can use but change time would be quite long. Can I run the capacitors in parallel / series so there at 660v? What kind of voltage / micro farads should the railgun have if the coilgun will be shooting at 25 - 40 m/s?
Can someone please help me with some of these questions.
banned on 5/26/2009 Registered Member #1877
Joined: Mon Dec 22 2008, 02:03AM
Location:
Posts: 147
lol.. o sorry. btw, aluminum will be more than enough, remember camera capacitors do not really store that much energy, so you could u 12 gauge wire to connect them all. the rails will last ten of thousands of shots, the only time you need to worry about rails deteriorating is rail guns above about 1.5 kj. as a contrast, camera capacitors are roughly 5-10 joules each. and i was wondering, what do you mean by drill a round hol through it? the rails are not supposed to constantly conduct with no projectile in it. the idea lots of people sue is to use the projectile as the switch, so when it contacts the rails the projectile completes the circuit. yes you can run the capacitors in a series and parralel mix, with 2 capacitors in series, then THAT in parralel. keep in mind the energy will stay the same, it will just be harder to find a charging supply for it. as for the question about what size and voltage, it all depends on the projectile. i made a program in turing (if you know what that is ) that calculates multiple things about capacitors and coilguns/railgun. ill compile it into an .exe and post it next time i go to my dad's house.
Registered Member #1805
Joined: Sat Nov 08 2008, 06:29AM
Location:
Posts: 67
hotcrazyfruit wrote ...
lol.. o sorry. btw, aluminum will be more than enough, remember camera capacitors do not really store that much energy, so you could u 12 gauge wire to connect them all. the rails will last ten of thousands of shots, the only time you need to worry about rails deteriorating is rail guns above about 1.5 kj. as a contrast, camera capacitors are roughly 5-10 joules each. and i was wondering, what do you mean by drill a round hol through it? the rails are not supposed to constantly conduct with no projectile in it. the idea lots of people sue is to use the projectile as the switch, so when it contacts the rails the projectile completes the circuit. yes you can run the capacitors in a series and parralel mix, with 2 capacitors in series, then THAT in parralel. keep in mind the energy will stay the same, it will just be harder to find a charging supply for it. as for the question about what size and voltage, it all depends on the projectile. i made a program in turing (if you know what that is ) that calculates multiple things about capacitors and coilguns/railgun. ill compile it into an .exe and post it next time i go to my dad's house.
Thanks,
I'm glad that you said they will last thousands of shots, Degrading was what was putting me off of making one. Please do get that program for me I'd like to see it. I know that I'll use the projectile as the switch what I meant was because my projectile is round (coming from the coilgun) I would drill a round "barrel" through the railgun. I'm not going with that idea anymore because its to hard to drill like that (I tried). Im probaly going to use a router to make a round on the top and bottom covers and leave the rails square. Something like this -
banned on 5/26/2009 Registered Member #1877
Joined: Mon Dec 22 2008, 02:03AM
Location:
Posts: 147
Have you tried using a dril press? with the rail assembly in a perpendicular jig? i beleive you could do that. but the router idea might not work. because the round coil projectile, would only contact at one very small point on the projectile. which may cause welding if you decide to upgrade the bank. i still think you should go with drilling a hole between them.
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coil + rail gun
