Velocity skin-effect transition conditions on metal-on-metal sliding contacts in muzzle-fed railguns

This paper deals with a numerical modeling of the thermal transition of the sliding contacts of solid armatures to liquid and vapor state. The transient electromagnetic and thermal behavior of the rail-to-armature contact zone is analyzed by means of suitable equivalent networks. Either frictional and Ohmic heating or radiation and conduction heat exchange are taken into account. The numerical model presented is used to predict and to compare the transition velocities in traditional and muzzle-fed railguns.