Rheinmetall Gmbh

Tzn Forschungs- Und Entwicklungszentrum Unterluss Gmbh

Diehl Gmbh & Co.

Tzn Forschungs- Und Entwicklungs-Zentrum

Tzn Forschumgs-Und Entwicklungszentrum Unterluss Gmbh

Markus Loffler

Wolfram Witt

Ulrich Braunsberger

Herbert Weh

Hardo May

Dieter Zwingel

Jurgen Salge

Klaus Zocha

An electrothermal firing device (1) including a tube containing a charge chamber (4') in which a first electrode (9) is disposed at the end of the charge chamber (4') adjacent the breechblock (2) and a second electrode (10) is disposed at the end of the charge chamber adjacent the projectile (6). To permit the first electrode (9) adjacent the breechblock to be arranged in the charge chamber without expensive supports, in contrast to such prior art devices, this first electrode (9) is configured as the grounded electrode and the second electrode (10) is configured as the high voltage electrode. Preferably, the two electrodes (9, 10) are arranged in an exchangeable cartouche (18) so that conventional charge chambers employing corresponding loading devices can be retrofitted in a simple manner for use with electrothermal firing devices (1).

Electrothermal firing device and cartouche for use in such devices

An electromagnetic accelerator arrangement includes a stationary arrangement including at least one stationary primary coil, and a movable arrangement including at least one moveable secondary coil. The planes of the stationary and the moveable coils are parallel to a direction of movement of the moveable arrangement. The coils of the stationary and the movable arrangements have approximately the same coil width in the direction of movement of the moveable arrangement and transversely thereto, as well as the same coil separation in the direction of movement of the moveable arrangement. The at least one stationary primary coil includes at least two layers between which the at least one secondary coil of the movable component is movably disposed, the distance between the layers being kept small transversely to the direction of movement of the moveable arrangement.

Electromagnetic accelerator in flat coil arrangement

A rail gun for accelerating a projectile therein includes a hollow insulating body forming a gun tube; and two rail assemblies supported in the gun tube and together defining an acceleration channel to accommodate a projectile for being propelled therein by a plasma armature generated by a high intensity current flowing through the rail assemblies and an electric arc connecting the rail assemblies. At least one of the rail assemblies includes a layer of an electrically conducting metal wool mass extending along and bounding the acceleration channel and an insulating substance held in the metal wool mass.

Rail gun

A propellant casing assembly for an electrothermic projectile firing device has a casing and an electrically energizable coil disposed in the casing. The coil vaporizes at a predetermined current intensity and generates at least one part of propellant gases for accelerating a projectile.

Propellant casing assembly for an electrothermic projectile firing device

An arrangement for the accelerating of a projectile through the intermediary of a plasma, wherein the plasma is generated by means of an electrical discharging circuit within a metallic tube which has the bottom thereof closed. The one pole of the discharging circuit contacts a first electrode which is formed on the tube rearwardly of the projectile, and in the other pole of the discharging circuit is connected with the casing or jacket of the tube. The projectile, which constitutes the second electrode, forms a current collector which contacts in the casing or jacket of the tube and slides therein during the acceleration of the projectile. The current collector hereby acts in the manner of a sliding contact which, during the acceleration of the projectile, remains in electrical contact with the tube.

Arrangement for accelerating a projectile through a plasma

A device for accelerating projectiles from a muzzle of a launching tube, with an electrically heated plasma, the plasma being produced by two electrodes between which is formed an electric arc that creates and heats the plasma. To assure in a simple manner that the pressure at the projectile base is almost constant during launching of the projectile, one of the two electrodes is provided at a breechblock of the tube and the other is formed by the base of the projectile.

Projectile accelerating device

An inductive energy converter includes a coil assembly having coil windings, with at least some of the coil windings respectively having spaced contact regions. A contact bar within the coil assembly is insulated from the coil windings, and a conductive body is in electrical contact with the contact bar and is movably supported by the coil assembly, wherein movement of the conductive body brings it into electrical contact with consecutive ones of the spaced contact regions, to complete an electrical circuit between one of the windings and the contact bar.

Inductive energy converter with spaced winding contacts

A device for accelerating projectiles from a launching tube by means of an electrically heated plasma and two electrodes between which burns an electric arc so as to heat the plasma. To cause the pressure for accelerating the projectile in the launching tube to be as high as possible, the two electrodes and thus the electric arc which heats the plasma are disposed within a rear portion of the projectile.

A projectile intended to be fired from an electric rail gun having spaced current-carrying rails between which the projectile is accelerated when fired, includes an armature mounted on the projectile and arranged to make contact simultaneously with the rails to electrically connect the rails to one another. The armature is of annular configuration and rotates as the projectile is propelled through the electric rail gun.

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Unterluss, Germany

Markus Loffler