Electromagnetic Rail Gun

Project Advisor: Miss Isra Nazeer

Department of Electrical Engineering,

University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Team Introduction
Khawaja Hassaan Arif Muhammad Nabeel Qamar
2014-EE-364 2014-EE-376
Specialization: Power Specialization: Power

Muhammad Faheel Choudhry

2014-EE-367
Specialization: Power

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Problem Statement
• The module is an electrically powered electromagnetic
projectile launcher which uses the energy conversion
system that converts electrical energy to mechanical
energy in order to launch a projectile.

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Proposed Solution
• Rail gun is basically an electric circuit consisting of three
parts,
• Power source
• Two parallel rails
• Moving armature

• A rail gun uses a magnetic field created by strong electric current in

order to accelerate the sliding metal conductor along two rails

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Block Diagram

Armature Bullet

Power et
Rails Bullet Target
Supply

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Flow Diagram
No

Power Variable Armature

Switch Power Supply moved

Target

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Working
• When projectile is inserted between the rails,
it completes the circuit.
• When supply is given to the rails , magnetic field is
produced inside the loop formed by length of the rails
up to the armature position.
• Lorentz force is produced which accelerates the
projectile along the rails.

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Applications
• Weaponry in modern warfare.
• Military rail guns will be produced for next generation of cruisers.
• Projectiles using kinetic energy to destroy targets.
• Range of rail guns 2-3 times bigger than medium range missiles and 10 times bigger
than naval cannons.

• Launch or launch assist of spacecraft.

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Audience
• Pakistan military and defense
• Rail gun has a much larger power than a powdered gun.
• Currently, velocities around 2-3 km/s have been achieved with the rail
gun while maximum velocity of a powdered gun is 1-1.5 km/s. It is
believed that rail can reach up to 5 km/s.
• Rail gun depends merely on high currents ,so there remains no need of
fuel and explosives.

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
What we have done so far?

• Theoretical analysis of rail gun working

• Material of the projectile
• Material of the rails
• Position of the rails

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
Future Deliverables
• Designing of electromagnetic launcher
• Selection of suitable power supply
• Calculations to achieve a suitable range of projectile
launch
• Selection of the material and dimensions of the rails
• Testing of the whole rail gun circuit

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
 Gantt Chart
Research Work Oct 10 - Dec 20

Choice of material
Circuit parameters
Simulations
Hardware phase Dec 21- Feb 10

Metal rails
Metal armature
Power Supply & other components

Experimental work Feb 11 – Apr 30

Switching circuit
Supply connections
Testing
Final report
Presentation
2017-18
% 15 30 45 60 75 100

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
References
[1]- Harris, William. "How Rail Guns Work." 11 October 2005. HowStuffWorks.com.
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/rail-gun.htm>19 December 2008

[2]- I. R. McNab, S. Fish and F. Stefani, "Parameters for an electromagnetic naval railgun,"
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 223-228, January 2001.

[3]- I. R. McNab, "Early electric gun research", IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 250-
261, Jan. 1999.

Undergraduate Final Year Project Presentation

Dated: 4th December, 2017
THANK YOU