Capacitor Gun
A.k.a (railgun)
Design Document
Group:
Sdmay19-15
Client:
Max Balzer
Faculty Advisor:
Mani Mina
Team Members:
Max Balzer - Meeting Facilitator and Production Engineer
Mark Fowler - Test Engineer, Scribe
Grant Larson - Test Engineer
Brett Nelson - Safety Engineer
Zachee Saleng - Engineer Designer
Bret Tomoson - Projectile and Power System Designer
Team Email:
[email protected]
Team Website:
sdmay19-15.sd.ece.iastate.edu
Version 2.0
Last Updated: 12/4/2018
Table of Contents Page Numbers
List of figures/tables/symbols/definitions 2
1 Introduction 3
1.1 Acknowledgement 3
1.2 Problem and Project Statement 3
1.3 Operational Environment 4
1.4 Intended Users and uses 4
1.5 Assumptions and Limitations 4
1.6 Expected End Product and Deliverables 5
2. Specifications and Analysis 6
2.1 Proposed Design 6
2.2 Design Analysis 8
3. Testing and Implementation 10
3.1 Interface Specifications 10
3.2 Hardware and software 10
3.3 Functional and Non-Functional Testing 10
3.4 Process 13
3.5 Results 14
4 Closing Material 15
4.1 Conclusion 15
4.2 References 16
4.3 Appendices 16
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List of figures
● Figure 1: SolidWorks design for railgun
● Figure 2: Schematic for Charging Circuit
● Figure 3: Testing Flowchart
● Figure 4: Charging Circuit Waveform
List of Tables
N/A
List of Symbols
N/A
List of definitions
● EM - An abbreviation for electromagnetism or electromagnetic(s).
● Capacitor - An electronic device used to store an electric charge to be
discharged and used later in a certain application.
● Solenoid - A coil of wires acting as a magnet while carrying current.
Included is an arm called a stroke which extends at a high speed
producing a force on an object.
● Wire Gauge - A term used to describe the diameter and current carrying
capacity of a wire or cable.
● Lorentz Force - The force exerted on a moving object by a magnetic
force.
● Muzzle - Open end of a barrel of a firearm.
● MJ - Abbreviation for megaJoule. A joule is a unit of measure for energy.
Likewise, KJ is kiloJoule.
● Breach - Another term for a door or latch.
● AC - an abbreviation for “alternating current” which periodically reverses
direction
● DC - an abbreviation for “direct current” which describes current that only
flows one direction
● Polycarbonate - an extremely strong plastic manufactured to withstand
heat and pressure
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1 Introduction
1.1 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Capacitor Gun Project team would like to thank Iowa State University and
the Professors of the College of Engineering for their help and support through
this process. Also, thank you to Professor Mani Mina for his mentorship and
sharing of expertise in EM. Others who have helped include Professor Neihart
who assisted in formulating equations and Mr. Mike Ryan who gave us a
workspace to craft our project and equipment and material to craft with. Mr. Ryan
also used his vast design expertise to assist us with the design process and give
us solutions to consider.
1.2 PROBLEM AND PROJECT STATEMENT
Currently, the common choice for how firearms (projectile launchers) shoot
objects is combustion. While this method is proven and effective, there is a
power limit to combustion and also a lack of precision at high speeds due to the
lower energy. Railguns have the ability to propel projectiles of greater mass at a
much higher velocity due to the concentration of energy that is possible with EM
propulsion.
The goal of this project is to create a functional railgun so that one day the design
could be used to replace current combustion weaponry. As of now, when you
think about railguns, you may think about the large-scale military grade ones.
Because of their size and energy outputs, they require complex systems to
function properly. These complex systems incur lots of manufacturing and
maintenance costs which we aim to eliminate. Our goal is to design a railgun on
a much smaller-scale to see if it could be both practical and possible when
comparing it to combustion weaponry and current railgun designs.
During this project, we will be using our knowledge from the courses we have
taken, and also the knowledge we will gain through researching railgun design.
During this course, we hope to accomplish two milestones to ensure a success.
Our first milestone is creating a small-scale model that is functional and can be
used to improve our design. Our second milestone is taking what we have
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learned from the small-scale model and applying it to the creation of a
large-scale model that can be compared to similarly powered firearms.
1.3 OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Our final design will be operated outdoors, so it must be able to withstand
different weather conditions. The railgun will be encased in a weather-resistant
material to shield the components from the elements. It will also be easily
portable for quick relocations and adjustments. Our end design will be heat
resistant as well because of the high currents and voltages being used. Because
the railgun will contain an immense amount of charge it will have a discharging
circuit to allow safe disarming of the railgun. While it is operational, there will be
no open metal that would allow accidental discharges.
1.4 INTENDED USERS AND USES
Our product is intended for users who have been trained on our design and not
the public. This project is a weapon that is dangerous to those who are not
experienced with its functionality and design. This is the main reason why it is not
intended for public use. Only those with knowledge on the project design and
safety measures will use this product.
The project will be a small scale model of what the current United States military
uses. Possible uses for our railgun can include replacing turrets and artillery
cannons with a large-scale railgun and replacing hand-held rifles with our
small-scale railgun. This would improve our weapon systems that are used to
protect our nation.
1.5 ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS
Assumptions:
1. The military needs/wants new technology
2. The difference between EM (electromagnetic) and combustion propulsion
is great enough to warrant investment
3. Railguns can be just as accurate as current technology
4. Railguns can be operated in any conditions alongside current firearms
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Limitations:
1. The cost of this project may be too high for our budget ($1000)
2. Railguns at this stage are single-shot devices
3. The railgun will need a cool-down and recharge period between shots
4. The heat released may be too high for hand-held usage
1.6 EXPECTED END PRODUCT AND DELIVERABLES
By the end of the Fall semester, the final project will be a functional weapon
system. It will use EM to fire a projectile with the use of high voltage capacitors
and a battery. The deliverables will include:
● A capacitor bank
○ The capacitor bank will consist of four 450V capacitors connected
using copper. The use for the capacitor bank is to store charge in
the form of electrical energy. This will be used to induce a current in
the metal rails which will create an electromagnetic field.
● A battery
○ The battery will be used to charge the capacitor bank. The battery
is where the whole project starts. It will charge the capacitors to our
specified voltage in order to create the means to fire the projectile.
● Metal Rails
○ The rails are used to carry current in order to create the
electromagnetic field. The rails must be made of a conductive metal
because the electromagnetic field is created by a current running
through it.
● Discharge Circuit
○ Large resistors in series that will be attached to the capacitor bank
via a switch. Once activated, the resistors will dissipate any
remaining charge in the capacitors and rails making them safe to
touch.
● Wires
○ Wires will be used to carry current from the capacitor bank to the
rails. These wires must be able to handle the high amounts of
current in each segment of the project.
● Projectiles
○ The projectiles are what makes this project a propulsion device.
They must be conductive so they can create the electromagnetic
force. The projectiles will enter the field and experience what is
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known as the Lorentz force. This is created by the current and
magnetic field and is what will give the projectiles their acceleration
once they enter the rails.
● Charging Circuit
○ The charging circuit will be made up of a specialized chip (LT3751)
with supporting components to create a 450V capacitor charger. A
12V input will be fed into the circuit and transformed into a 450V
output. This will be done by storing energy in cycles and releasing it
into the capacitor bank at increasing power.
● Spring Mechanism
○ The spring mechanism will be two tension springs attached to a
drawer slide that will push a wood block. The wood will have a hook
on it to allow an area to grab and pull backward. This motion
creates a great tension in the springs which hold more energy the
farther they are stretched before being released. During this
release, the wood block will push the projectile forward and into the
opening of the rails. This will allow the projectile to enter the rails at
an initial velocity, create the magnetic field and avoid welding in
place.
2. Specifications and Analysis
2.1 PROPOSED DESIGN
Our proposed design is a fully electronic railgun. Previously built projects use
hardware or compressed air to provide the initial velocity into the magnetic field
which adds unnecessary complexity. Our team’s final design includes a spring
mechanism or solenoid to be used for the initial momentum. The solenoid will
give the projectile a quick and powerful push into the magnetic field created by
the charged rails. It is necessary to have an initial push because the projectile
itself acts as a connection in the circuit. If it is not moving the massive amount of
current going through will weld the projectile to the rails.
We do have a few design alternatives that will be determined from available
materials, tools, the size of our rails, and projectiles. For the rails, we will test if
aluminum or copper is best to use when under maximum load. The material must
also be able to prevent degradation of the rails due to the heat and friction of
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firing. Dielectric and conductive greases will be used as lubricants to decrease
friction and increase electrical connection.
Another aspect of our design that will be designed during testing is our projectile.
Our initial plan is to make it like a sled/sabot. It will be in the shape of a “U” to
maximize contact with the rails while also allowing space to carry a more
aerodynamic projectile. The projectile then does not have to be conductive. This
gives us more options for projectile materials. The other alternative for the
projectile is to use one piece of conductive metal which will be cut and shaped to
a specific design to minimize air resistance and velocity losses. The single body
design will be more expensive to manufacture but easier to test and potentially
higher muzzle energy.
Our capacitor bank will be charged with a special charging circuit. This circuit will
have the functionality to allow the user to set the amount of charge (voltage) they
want the capacitors to be charged to. This charging process will take some time
which unfortunately is unavoidable due to our low budget. There will also be a
discharge circuit which will absorb any remaining charge on the rails after firing.
This should make the railgun safe to transport.
The proposed design is as shown below. Not all components are present in this
sketch but shown is a charging circuit (green box) that is being used to charge
the capacitors. The positive side of the capacitors are connected to one rail and
the negative side is connected to the other rail. The rails are covered top and
bottom with a sheet of polycarbonate which acts as a barrel when put together. A
spring mechanism is shown at the end of the rails. This is where the projectile will
be loaded. The spring will launch the projectile into the magnetic field to give it
the initial push it needs. A discharge circuit (not shown) will be used to make sure
the railgun is safe to handle after it has been fired.
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Figure 1. SolidWorks design for the project
2.2 DESIGN ANALYSIS
Currently, our small-scale design has been constructed with aluminum rails, an
aluminum projectile, two 450V capacitors connected in parallel, a polycarbonate
encasing to hold the rails and capacitors, heavy gauge wire to transfer power, a
spring-loaded entry mechanism, and a charging circuit.
We chose aluminum rails in our small-scale design because it was what Mr. Mike
Ryan had on hand for us to use. Because of the high amounts of current, we will
be using the metal choice may need to be changed if unsuitable. Our main
concern with the metal is how quickly it will degrade from friction and
concentrated electric discharges.
The projectile will be an all-aluminum piece instead of a sled concept. This
eliminates the need to design a special projectile and casing that is conductive
and lightweight. The aluminum projectile will have 2-4 inches in length of contact
with the rails to provide proper energy transfer. It will be a half inch wide to make
a connection with the rails. It is designed to be contacting the rails as it is fired so
that it "closes" the circuit. Otherwise, no magnetic field would be created. This
design is easier to machine and has more contact area, but is not inherently
aerodynamic and will require modifications through testing.
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We have chosen to connect our capacitors in parallel to increase the total
capacitance of the design and thus energy stored while staying in a 450V
configuration. The stored energy is given by the equation:
E (energy) = (½) * C (capacitance) * V 2 (voltage) . We chose our capacitors
specifically (CAP ALUM 16000UF 20% 450V SCREW) for their low internal resistance and
high capacity. This allows the highest energy transfer when “shorted” due to firing
the projectile. The capacitor bank will have one input from the charging circuit
and two outputs to the rail and discharge circuit for each terminal. At this time we
will only charge the capacitors to at most 50% of their capacity.
Percentage Charged Volts (V) Energy Stored in Capacitors (J)
10% 45 32.4
20% 90 129.6
30% 135 291.6
40% 180 518.4
50% 225 810
Figure 2: Chart showing amount of energy in our capacitors at each percentage.
The polycarbonate encasing is just a layer on top and bottom of the rails that
hold them in place via screws. They were available at Mr. Ryan’s shop for us to
use so we did not specifically choose them but they have promising properties.
They should be able to resist the heat of the rails and be dense enough so they
are not damaged by the projectile being fired. The polycarbonate is a strong
material so it will also be able to hold the rails at the correct spacing once the
magnetic field is produced.
Heavy gauge wire was chosen to carry the current from each component to the
rails. The gauge of each link was determined using common ampacity ratings of
insulated wire under their intended loading conditions.
We chose to make a spring-loaded projectile entry device for our project. Our
design is basic in the sense that we will pull back a push rod hooked to springs to
the desired length. Then, when we want it to push our projectile forward, we pull
the string which in turn releases the drawer slide holding the rod. We chose this
method over an electrical solenoid mainly for cost reasons, so we can stay under
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our budget, but also complexity reasons. This is a design we intend to simplify if
budget allows.
Our charging circuit was chosen/designed specifically to convert 12V from a
portable battery to 450V within the capacitor bank. This was done by utilizing a
Lt3751 chip, MOSFETS, a flyback transformer, resistors, and rectifiers. The
Lt3751 is commonly used as a high voltage capacitor charger from a 12-24V
input by triggering charging cycles of energy storage and then discharge across
the transformer to the capacitor bank. The functionality of our circuit is currently
being tested and may be modified under further evaluation.
Currently, our calculations for the forces the railgun and projectile will be
experiencing are limiting the continuation of our design and testing due to safety
concerns. The calculations and numbers, which are in the appendix section,
have reached a stop due to our confidence in our physics. Our calculations rely
heavily on time varying currents and magnetic fields which will need to be
discussed and verified with our project advisor to ensure we can be confident
that our numbers will provide a safe testing phase. We have obtained most of the
formulas we need to complete our work but will be working in the next semester
to make sure the data is calculated correctly. Once the calculations have been
verified and approved, we will continue with our build and test phases.
3 Testing and Implementation
3.1 INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS
We will not be using any hardware or software interfaces for this project. Our
design does not include any computer connections.
3.2 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
Lab equipment located in Coover Hall will be used for preliminary testing of the
charging circuit. We will be using a Function Generator to create a voltage
source to help test the charging circuit by creating a 12V DC input. Then we will
use a Digital Multimeter to measure the voltages at certain points of our circuit to
make sure we are getting the expected outcomes.
3.3 FUNCTIONAL AND NON-FUNCTIONAL TESTING
Our testing will happen in 3 phases: 1) testing our charging circuit. 2) testing our
small-scale design. 3) testing our final design
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1. Testing our charging circuit
Once the charging circuit is completed, we need to attach a 12V AC power
source to it and see what it outputs. Below is a diagram of what the circuit looks
like. We would need to attach a Voltmeter to the “C4” capacitor and make sure it
is charging. We would also need to monitor the current in the diodes with a
Digital Multimeter.
Figure 3. Schematic for the Charging Circuit
If the charging circuit works, we will then test how long it takes to charge a single
capacitor to 450V by starting a timer as we input 12V AC.
2. Testing our small-scale design
Testing our small-scale design will first start off as assembling the design of it
and then firing the railgun. If it works then we know our design is correct.
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First, we have expected numbers based off our design in section 4.3 and the
formulas we used to get them.
Given that the design works (produces a magnetic field and moves a projectile)
we will test a few different things:
● How each shot degrades the rails and the polycarbonate. We will test this
by taking repeated shots and see how the materials hold up.
● How fast the projectile is fired with one capacitor, then two. This will be
tricky, but the best way we can do this is to have a powerful camera
watching the end of the muzzle as the railgun is fired. We will have
distances marked and record the time it took the projectile to reach each
spot after it leaves the barrel.
● Projectile testing and designing. We will test how much contact area is
ideal for effective usage, what material(s) are best to compose the
projectile, and what designs are aerodynamically ideal.
● Our railgun will be tested for accuracy once an ideal projectile is chosen.
We will test this by going to a gun range and shooting at a target. If there
is a certain amount of precision in our shots, then we can calibrate a target
based on that data.
3. Improving our final design
At this point with our project all of the relevant tests to check sustainability,
reusability, and operability should have been completed on the small-scale
design. To test our final design, we will first assemble the full-size railgun and
make sure it fires.
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3.4 PROCESS
Figure 4. Testing Flowchart
Test Methods:
1. Functionality: Tests to see if the railgun fires by using it in a controlled
environment.
2. Durability: Record how many uses we can get out of our railgun before it
degrades to an unsafe state. We will look at the rails mainly and record
the damage caused by heat and friction.
3. Charging Time and Effectiveness: We will record how long it takes to use
our Charging Circuit to bring our capacitors to 450 volts. We will do this
with a timer and voltmeter connected to the capacitors.
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4. Projectile Velocity: During each successful usage of our railgun we will
record the projectiles exit speed. We will do this using a pre-measured
area and a high-powered video camera to record each shot. With that
data, we can calculate its speed quite easily with the velocity equation.
V (velocity) = D(distance)/T (time)
5. Accuracy: We will take the railgun to a gun range to test its accuracy
against targets at a certain distance away.
6. Projectile Designs: We will use different projectiles periodically to see how
velocity and accuracy are affected. We will do this to find the best design
for ideal functionality.
3.5 RESULTS
Official testing has not begun due to the charging circuit not being completed and
will begin when configured correctly. Before we test, we first will find the
calculations for all of the unknowns we are testing for. From our appendix, there
are our calculations for some of the unknowns we found. These calculations are
calculated for the absolute maximum values they can be with no losses. Here is
just an general idea of what we might expected before testing. For some of these
values though, they do not make sense to us. Before we think about testing, we
will be working on to fixing these values to make more sense to us.
The physical circuit is being tested for accurate assembly and the node voltages
are being examined.
Charging Circuit:
We are expecting results for this to be very direct in the sense that it works, or it
doesn’t. The circuit is designed to charge the capacitors to 450V in a short
amount of time, roughly 2 minutes. The discharge time is equal to the charging
time. As they charge, we are expecting a waveform as shown below.
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Figure 5. Charging Circuit Waveform
The voltage and current should rise logarithmically until they reach their max
values and then stop. We are also testing the voltages at certain ports of the
LT3751 chip (see Figure 2) to reassure that it is working properly.
Small-scale design:
We are unsure of the results we should be expecting when testing the
small-scale design. Number one we expect it to work, but the exit velocity,
accuracy, repeatability, and time to cool off are all unknowns.
Improving small-size design:
Once data has been gathered on the small-scale design, we expect to formulate
equations that will relate to increasing its power and performance. That will give
us an idea of what to expect once we are at full strength.
The main issues with testing our railguns will be safety and finding a place to do
so. We plan on running tests inside of a gun range or out in a secluded field.
4 Closing Material
4.1 CONCLUSION
To this point, we have completed preliminary calculations, constructed a small
scale railgun, and assembled the charging circuit. Our goal this semester was to
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put the railgun together and run various tests on it. Then, next semester we can
assemble the full-sized, optimized railgun and confirm that it works.
Unfortunately, we have not completed the testing to this point so that will need to
be done early next semester. Once that is completed, we can work to better our
design before its final demonstration. This is the best course of action because
each step we take towards completion is dependent on the previous step being
finished.
We still plan on having a functional and near perfected design by the end of the
spring semester. It will meet our standards for accuracy, time to recharge, time
to cool, muzzle energy, and exit velocity (these standards will be compiled later).
4.2 REFERENCES
“LT3751 Datasheet.” Mouser Electronics,
www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/609/LT3751-1504101.pdf.
4.3 APPENDICES
Energy Stored in Capacitors:
E = (1/2)CV 2
C = total capacitance
V = voltage stored/charged to
Percentage Charged Volts (V) Energy Stored in Capacitors (J)
10% 45 32.4
20% 90 129.6
30% 135 291.6
40% 180 518.4
50% 225 810
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Current
Discharging Capacitor Formula (RC):
I = (V 0 /R) * e−t/RC
RC = time constant calculated by the overall resistance and capacitance
V 0 = initial voltage
R = (#rails * resistivity of aluminum * length of rails (meters))/(width (m) * height(m))
Magnetic Field
Biot-Savart Law
- Magnetic Field experienced
u0 : permeability constant of aluminum
I: current
s = perpendicular distance of rails
d = separation of the rails from center axes
r = cross section of rails
Initial Velocity of Projectile
Spring Constant Formula converted into Potential Energy converted into Velocity:
v i = √kx2 /m
k = spring rate/constant
x = distance pulled back (m)
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m = mass of projectile (Kg)
Final Velocity (at end of barrel)
vf = vi + 2 * a * d
a = acceleration (m/s^2)
d = distance of rails (m)
Force Outwards on Rails
F = I *LxB
I = current through rails
L = length of rails
B = magnetic field
Force on Projectile (Lorentz’s)
B = magnetic field (T)
i = current (A)
F = force on projectile (N)
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Shear Limits of Fasteners
Shear Strength
(60% of Tensile
Minimum Ultimate Strength with 80% of Total Shear
Tensile Load (N) proof loading). (N) Strength(per rail) (N)
1/4-28 x 1" black oxide
ASTM F-835 23464.37 11262.9 157680.56
Safety
We will take certain measures for safety when testing our project:
1) We will contact a gun range and see if they could provide us with a safe
environment to test. If not, two of our group members own private land we could
use. We would be secluded from public areas and other people on this land.
2) No matter what, when we are in the process of testing our design, all group
members will stand behind a protective shield. The shield will be made of a
sturdy material and be 25 yards away from the capacitor gun.
3) We will have a mechanism that can “fire” the projectile without us being near it.
This could be a simple string attached to a pin that we could pull or a timer that
releases the spring after a minute.
4) When testing, our max voltage we will charge the capacitors is 50%. In the table
above you can see the energy we will have stored at those levels. Note: all
number calculations assume no losses which will not be the case. The numbers
shown are absolute maximum values these variables could take.
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