Effect of geometry change on the deformation in C-shaped armatures through 3-D magnetic-structural coupling finite-element analysis

Armature is a key component in railgun, the geometry of which directly affects the performance during the launching process, and it can be easily destroyed by enormous forces. In order to guarantee the success of the electromagnetic Launching (EML), a high-strength armature is needed. In this paper, we focus on the deformation in C-Shaped armature caused by electromagnetic forces. A 3-D magnetic-structural coupling finite-element method has been carried out to analyze the effect of different geometries. Four geometrical parameters are used to characterize the maximum deformation of armature. These are the armature shoulder's thickness, the armature arm's thickness, the contact length and the inner curve's radius. At last, we get some effective conclusion for designing the high mechanical strength armature to improve the performance of the EML.