Electromagnetic launcher with spiral guideway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073357-B2
Application number	US-202016735992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2020
Priority date	May 25, 2016
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

An electromagnetic launcher with a curved or spiral-shaped, open-ended guideway and conductors for launching a projectile. The projectile, movably retained on or within the guideway, is accelerated along the guideway using electromagnetic forces until it reaches an end of the guideway, then the projectile is launched in a desired direction. The direction of the launch of the projectile is determined by orienting the guideway in the desired direction using an actuator.

First claim

Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. An electromagnetic launcher for accelerating a projectile, the electromagnetic launcher comprising:
an elongated guideway at least partially encircling a central axis and comprising a first end located a first radial distance from the central axis and a second end located a second radial distance from the central axis, the second radial distance being larger than the first radial distance; and
a plurality of conductive coils supported on the guideway and operable to receive electric current to induce a magnetic field for accelerating the projectile from the first end to the second end,
wherein the elongated guideway is sloped so that the first end is at a different vertical height than the second end.

2. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the guideway encircles the central axis at least once to form a spiral-shaped path.

3. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the first end is at a higher vertical height than the second end.

4. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the first end is at a lower vertical height than the second end.

5. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the guideway further comprises an elongated portion connected to the second end.

6. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 5 , wherein the elongated portion extends along an axis tangential to a curvature of the second end of the guideway.

7. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to activate a one or more of the conductive coils nearest to the projectile.

8. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of rails positioned along the guideway and including a positive rail and a negative rail operable to supply electrical power to the projectile.

9. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the guideway is operable to rotate about the central axis.

10. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the guideway is operable to tilt at an angle relative to the central axis.

11. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the guideway includes a bore operable to receive the projectile.

12. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 1 , wherein the guideway is operable to guide the projectile along an outside surface of the guideway.

13. A method of launching a projectile, the method comprising the steps of:
positioning the projectile in a first end of an elongated guideway that at least partially encircles a central axis, the first end being positioned a first radial distance from the central axis; and
activating one or more conductive coils supported by the guideway to induce a magnetic field proximate to the projectile to accelerate the projectile along the guideway to a second end of the guideway, the second end being located a second radial distance from the central axis and at a different vertical height than the first end, the second radial distance being larger than the first radial distance.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second end is at a lower vertical height than the first end.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the accelerating step includes energizing a plurality of rotor coils attached to the projectile.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the accelerating step includes—
energizing a pair of rails positioned in the guideway, the pair of rails including a positive rail and a negative rail; and
connecting the rails to the projectile via contacts attached to the projectile, the conductive contacts including—
a first set of connectors configured to connect a first end of the rotor coils to the positive rail and a second end of the rotor coils to the negative rail so that an electric current travels through the rotor coils thereby inducing an electromagnetic field about the rotor, and
a second set of connectors connecting a first end of the conductive coils to the positive rail and a second end of the conductive coils to the negative rail so that a current travels through the conductive coils thereby inducing an electromagnetic field between the first end of the conductive coils and the second end of the conductive coils.

17. An electromagnetic launcher comprising:
a projectile;
an elongated guideway at least partially encircling a central axis and comprising—
a first end operable to receive the projectile and located a first radial distance from the central axis,
a second end located a second radial distance from the central axis and at a different vertical height than the first end, the second radial distance being larger than the first radial distance, and
an elongated portion connected to the second end and extending along an axis tangential to a curvature of the second end, the elongated portion having a launch site from which the projectile is launched; and

a plurality of conductive coils supported on the guideway and operable to receive electric current to induce a magnetic field for accelerating the projectile.

18. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 17 , wherein the guideway is sloped so that the first end is higher than the second end.

19. The electromagnetic launcher of claim 17 , further comprising a controller configured to selectively activate one or more of the plurality of conductive coils.

Assignees

• Honeywell Federal Mfg & Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hartman Seth
• Timpson Erik

Classifications

• F41B6/006

  Rail launchers · CPC title

• F41B3/04

  Centrifugal sling apparatus · CPC title

• F41B6/003 Primary

  using at least one driving coil for accelerating the projectile, e.g. an annular coil · CPC title