Electromagnetic and mechanical gyro stabilization in railgun launcher

This paper presents two new strategies to provide gyroscopic stabilization for armatures launched by railgun launchers. The rotating motion of the projectile is obtained by means of an electromagnetic field or, alternatively, of an appropriately shaped bore. In the first case windings, coiled in the bore axis direction, generate a rotating magnetic field. The interaction between the field and the conducting sleeve implies a rotation of the latter. The mechanical solution consists in a helicoidally extruded square bore launcher. In this way, the projectile moves along the main axis and it rotates at the same time. Results of a theoretical analysis are reported and the feasibility of both techniques is discussed.