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Eric

Mon Feb 13 2006, 06:52PM

Registered Member #69 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 07:42AM
Location:
Posts: 116

Since you want to showcase the electromagnetic action, don't bother with injection, it really doesn't make much sense in an amateur design such as this.

On the old board Andrew had a micro railgun he talked about. Sounded like it was very successful, considering the simplicity of it. You might ask him for particulars.

J.Lanum

Mon Feb 13 2006, 08:11PM

Registered Member #161 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 03:15AM
Location:
Posts: 20

Sorry I'm new I don't know who andrew is or how to get in contact w/ him. Any help...

Eric

Mon Feb 13 2006, 09:15PM

Registered Member #69 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 07:42AM
Location:
Posts: 116

Here he is:

Pete

Mon Feb 13 2006, 11:29PM

Registered Member #106 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 09:39PM
Location: Portland, OR and Istanbul, Turkey
Posts: 47

There's an easy way to get more capacitors if you need. Everyone pretty much knows it by now.

Go to your local Walgreens, Kmart, Walmart, local photo place that develops disposible cameras, and tell them that you are building a project for school about electricity and power, ask for a few disposible cameras. When I do this I can usually drive around a 3 mile radius to my various 'suppliers' and haul in about 100 cameras in about 2 hours work. Taking them apart is fun and you usually end up with an ungodly pile of fully charged AA batteries to boot.

Just be careful when you do it! Charged capacitors across a screwdriver.. BAD. accidentally tripping flashtubes in the eyes... BAD. But a neverending supply of comedy to my roommate. Ater the first few you learn how to take them apart.

Have fun.

Pete

Ben

Mon Feb 13 2006, 11:32PM

Vigilatny
Registered Member #17 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 02:47PM
Location: NL
Posts: 158

I have seen working railgun, that used photo flash capacitors. It used 10 kJ worth of them plus some magnets with clever pole pieces. IT was done by a physics professor for an introductory physics class.

I can send it to you directly(but not post it here).

Quantum Singularity

Tue Feb 14 2006, 01:36AM

Registered Member #158 Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 09:53PM
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 282

I was working on a railgun for my senior project at college along with some other friends. A railgun is not an easy project by any means. Our propsal got rejected due to cost, dangerousness, and many other factors. I had a talk with the dean of electronics about it, explained we already had most of all the expensive parts, and asked if I could make a crude working prototype by the end of the trimester, he would approve our proposal for senior project next trimester. We spent about 3 months and could not get a good working prototype. We werent begginers either, having built 3 telsa coils, 20kW jacob's ladder, a disk launcher with crazy power, em can crusher... etc. We even had two caps that were rated at 6kJ each. I know this isnt what you want to hear but your idea is very difficult. If you are even thinking about using 'solar power' you have no idea how much energy is involved in a working railgun. Not that it is impossible though. But to do it in one month would probably require you copying a good working railgun someone else has already made, because it will easily take a month to get all the materials, construct it, and get the bugs worked out of it. And most people who have built working railguns have custom fabricated many peices for it. Heck probably everyones first railgun has taken 6 months to a year to make that I am aware of. I know your probably already committed to this project so I hope it works out better than mine did. Its been about 5 years and I have still not finished mine. Due to the cost and the size of the project, it has gotten shelved. I am now persuing building a coilgun wich is alot more managable of a project IMO, and can be alot more 'practable' in shooting projectiles, as many people have already made handheld version that can fire rounds at respectable velocities.

J.Lanum

Tue Feb 14 2006, 02:00AM

Registered Member #161 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 03:15AM
Location:
Posts: 20

Ok so what I'm gathering from just about everyone is that it is going to be next to impossible to get decent results. So my best bet is to go around and try and snatch up 100 disposable cameras from various one hour photo places and then hook them up? Is there any other power source that I could look into getting? No not a homopole generator or compulsator but maybe a capacitor that's larger that you would find in a everday item?

Wilson

Tue Feb 14 2006, 02:39AM

Registered Member #78 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:27AM
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 133

You can find caps medium sized caps in monitors/TVs. ranging from 200-500uF at 450V
If you can find an inverter air conditioner, they have a large cap bank of around 400V 4000uF in the inverter section.
Computer PSUs have 2 caps at 200V, at around 200uF.

For anything larger, you will have to go look on ebay.

...

Tue Feb 14 2006, 02:40AM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

I am selling some large caps in my assorted components for sale thread... They are 1800ufd/450v which is 182j. They are decent for railguns with their .054 esr... I am only asking $5/piece

Maz

Tue Feb 14 2006, 02:44AM

Registered Member #111 Joined: Fri Feb 10 2006, 01:04AM
Location: Menasha,Wisconsin
Posts: 65

i know monitors have large capacitors in them, but i wouldnt use those. the problem is that the caps your looking for must be pulse rated, like photo flash. if they are not, they will take longer to discharge or become damaged by the rapid discharge.

look on ebay for a while, its your best bet.
second best bet is to buy from the guys right here, they know their stuff and wont try to rip you off.

I have seen working railgun, that used photo flash capacitors. It used 10 kJ worth of them plus some magnets with clever pole pieces. IT was done by a physics professor for an introductory physics class.

I can send it to you directly(but not post it here).
-Ben

do you think you could send it to me i am rather interested.

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