In Situ Measurement of Strain and Temperature for Railgun Launcher Diagnostics

The challenging physical environment associated with electromagnetic launchers (EMLs) makes reliable in situ measurements of physical parameters particularly difficult. The resulting lack of data hinders the validation of simulation codes that are used to support the design of new EMLs. As a result, there have been substantial efforts to develop new instrumentation that is compatible with the harsh environment of an EML. This paper will describe recent developments from Georgia Tech and U.S. Navy research to improve instrumentation capabilities for temperature and strain.