Electro Magnetic Launcher

Electro Magnetic Launch (EML) is being actively researched for accelerating macroscopic objects or projectiles to hyper velocities using electromagnetic or electrothermochemical launchers. In the field of EML, researchers are actively sharing their respective work. It seems, we are at the threshold of a new era in the applications of electromagnetic launch technology. Significant developments in hypervelocity electromagnetic launch and in hypervelocity high-G guidance and control components have provided the impetus for exploring advanced electromagnetic launchers capable of providing revolutionary new capabilities.

The ability to use electromagnetic energy to controllably propel objects to extremely high speeds has broad and important consequences for many elements of our society, including transportation, communications, energy, defense, and space. The technology for using electromagnetic energy pulses to accelerate materials to extremely high speeds is only now sufficiently advanced that it is being exploited to evaluate the survivability of space structures and the survivability and lethality of weapon systems. Electromagnetic launchers are now capable of accelerating objects to such high speeds that projectiles are capable of traveling many hundreds of kilometers or penetrating the most advanced modern armors, and there is a renewed and growing interest in using electromagnetic launchers to reach sufficiently high speeds to put objects in orbit around the earth. Railguns, coilguns, EMALS on aircraft carriers, mass drivers and related electromagnetic acceleration technologies are a part of EML.

References

* [http://www.emlsymposium.org/ EML of IEEE]
* [http://www.magneticsmagazine.com/e-prints/UT.pdf An article by Harry Fair in Magnetics]
* [http://www.lifeboat.com/ex/em EM Launch Competition by Lifeboat Foundation]
* [http://www.cyberpursuits.com/space/engineering/massdrivers.asp A Cyberpursuits article]