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Registered Member #3107
Joined: Thu Aug 12 2010, 03:58PM
Location:
Posts: 2
Hi all, nice to meet you, this is my first post. I've had this idea in my head and wanted to find a community of people who know what they're doing to basically tell me if It sucks or not.
I guess in theory its called a coilgun but it differs in several key areas.
First, of all, it doesn't shoot steel or your typical ferrous projectiles. It actually shoots cylindrical magnets or magnets encased in something non ferrous. Second, The magnets are pulled into a coil but instead of just being pulled in and then switching off the coil, the coil polarity is then reversed so it pushes the projectile out of the coil. Third, although I'm not 100% sure on this one, I'd propose a simple laser-based optical type switch to initiate the polarity change. Similar to this
I can't profess to be an electronics expert but exerting a push/pull relationship effectively could make one coil as effective as two conventional ones.
Any thoughts on these ideas? Or is it a hopeless cause?
Registered Member #16
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 02:22PM
Location: New Wilmington, PA
Posts: 554
That's an amazing idea! I've been working on it for about a year
I've been tinkering with this idea since last summer. Chris Russell and I came up with the concept during a brainstorming session on mains powered, low current, high efficiency coilgun designs. You're at the same point I was at the beginning of the process. Once you sit down and really draw out the idea, you'll realize that you'll have to turn the coil off before the projectile actually enters the coil, wait for it to pass all the way through the coil, then re-energize it just as the projectile leaves the coil. It won't be able to remain energized as the projectile enters the coil.
The one big difference is I'm using an inductive trigger that uses a small coil wrapped around the barrel to sense the projectile position.
Hopefully I'll have a small 4 or 5 stage mock-up working in the next month. I'd be happy to share any ideas or information I have.
Registered Member #195
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 08:27PM
Location: Berkeley, ca.
Posts: 1111
I have thought that you could use a bunch of scrs caps and circular inductors for this type of launcher. the most important thing is timing. As the projectile goes faster the timing between each coil firing the timing will decrease. If you wanted to use ball bearings in a toride it could be spun up to speed like a cyclotron before being released. If you use a aluminum slug you may be able to get it going with eddy currents in a linear setup. I have not tried any of these ideas because I have about 3 other projects but I have always wanted to try it. It would be neet if this project will work
Registered Member #3107
Joined: Thu Aug 12 2010, 03:58PM
Location:
Posts: 2
Thanks for the replies! Dave, I'd love to see any progress you make on it. Sounds like I'd need to have two sensors, one on the front of the coil to shut it off and one on the back end. That complicates things but doesn't rule it out.
I also had another idea. I wanted to build the coils to be self contained modular units. They would be built on a non-ferrous armature with two holes in them so they can be slid down a pair of aluminum rails. I'd have an R/C Car type connector on each one so they could be plugged in and attatched easily. As I produced more units, they could be easily combined for more power.
Teravolt. If the units are self contained with optical sensors, then timing shouldn't be an issue. When the projectile enters the gate, the coil is turned off, when it exits, its turned back on with polarity reversed. The idea is that if they're able to function on their own, regardless of speed, you wouldn't need to worry about any timing. At least thats my theory, feel free to disagree and I'll be happy to listen.
As for projectiles, I think I'm just going to have to find a easily replicated magnet. I was planning on capping the ends with something and then using heat shrink tubing to hold the whole thing together and reduce aerodynamic drag.
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New guy, new type of coil gun idea.
