Analysis of Sliding Contact of Armature Inside the Vertical Curved Rails in Electromagnetic Railgun

In previous studies, the armature-rail sliding contact interface is usually considered to be an ideal slide in which both rails are parallel and symmetric. However, due to the influence of structural deformation of the barrel affected by boundary constraints and the manufacturing errors of rails and armature, it often leads to a variety of nonideal the armature-rail matching such as space curved or twisted rails, offset or deflected armature, and so on. This article focuses on the common vertical curved rail in electromagnetic railgun. By introducing centrifugal force effects and coupling electromagnetic force, the armature-rail contact pressure is analyzed theoretically. According to the 3-D finite-element simulation results, the effect of centrifugal force on sliding contact pressure should not be ignored. The effects of different curved radii, velocities, and densities of armature on the contact pressure are compared and analyzed. The influence law on the contact pressure is obtained, which provides a theoretical basis for the design of the railgun.