Barrel wear reduction in rail guns : an investigation of silver paste liquid-metal interface

This thesis tests the effects a commercial silver paste has on the damage at the projectile-rail interface of a 4" long rail gun test section. Projectiles (0.635 x 0.635 x 0.953 cm) were pushed through the rail test section at 34 Å 19 m/s, while average current densities of 18-32 kA/cm2 was passed through the projectile - rail interface material. The specific objective is to examine rail and projectile damage at current densities near or above those (" 25kA/cm2) anticipated for a naval rail gun. Voltages across the rails were monitored and changes in conductivity when solid electrical contact was broken were observed. Silver deposits were observed on the rails from the paste at a peak current of 13.3 kA, while no damage was seen on the rails until a peak current of 17.2 kA was reached, which corresponds to average current densities of 22 kA/cm2 and 28.5 kA/cm2, respectively.

Grantor dc:publisher

Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Smith, Michael Willet, Jr.

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Maier, William B. II
• Snyder, Donald

Statement dc:rights

• This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10945/3283

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/3283