Chapter 1: Practical Coilgun Design

Chapter: Site Home

Chapter 2: Modelling

Want to know more about magnetism in coilguns? Want to know why and how electromagnets work? Want some math to help analyze coilguns?

For background, here are some relevent coilgun topics on "the theory of electromagnets".

Capacitors

What are capacitors?
How does a capacitor discharge?
Can multiple capacitors store more energy?
How much kinetic energy from a capacitor?

Inductors

Projectiles

What kind of magnetic materials are there?
Consider the magnetic field and how it interacts with the projectile
Force - where does it come from?
How to measure speed
Overview of electromagnetic guns

Winding Coils

What if each coil has a larger number of turns?
Choice of magnet wire
What coil size works best?

Coil With Projectile

Physics of solenoids
Magnetic field of a single wire loop
What happens in very strong fields? Saturation.
What if you have a coil surrounded by iron? How much improvement do you get?
What are salient pole motors?

Multiple Coils

Open-loop versus closed-loop control
Variable coil length
What if you use a larger number of coils?

The Ballistic Pendulum

Backyard Ballistics, by William Gurstelle
How fast does it go?
Building the ballistic pendulum
Materials
Setting up the pendulum
Determining muzzle velocity
Physics
Tips and troubleshooting
Benjamin Robins, inventor of the ballistic pendulum

Other

Phototransistor spectrum
Want more? Here are some good books to read!