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Registered Member #27
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058
Read this: Then search the forum and archives. Coil guns are very easy to get working but extremely hard to make optimal since there are many parameters to work with and they some times interact in complicated ways.
Registered Member #2605
Joined: Tue Jan 05 2010, 03:25AM
Location:
Posts: 9
ah yes, I did read that, err skim, but I was just wondering if there was a way to tell ahead of time what I would be building with the limited parts I have access to. or will have access to. Thanks though
Registered Member #1451
Joined: Wed Apr 23 2008, 03:48AM
Location: Boulder, Co
Posts: 661
You'll get a good idea of what you can do with what you have after some experimenting and research on the forums. With every successive coil gun you'll get better and better at optimizing them.
And no, there isn't a single equation that can sum up a coil gun due to the hundreds of variables that are human based ie. coil winding shape. A little difference at the beginning will have huge effects at the end.
A good guide line would be that your first gun will get between .5% and 3% efficiency. That'll give you a basic idea of the power of your finished product.
Registered Member #90
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:44PM
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 301
You can make some rough estimates of what to expect. Take your stored potential energy (PE = 1/2 C V^2) and multiply by an assumed efficiency (say, 1/2% to 1%) to get the expected kinetic energy.
To get expected velocity, all you need to know is the projectile mass and kinetic energy. Solve the kinetic energy equation for velocity (KE = 1/2 m v^2).
This is a good way to get started with what to expect from capacitors in your parts box. However, the details of how to get 1% or better is up to your ingenuity, as we don't have a comprehensive design cookbook. Good luck!
Cheers, Barry A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."
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Is there a formula for coil guns?
