Effect of Pulse Current Variation on the Transient Inductance Gradient of Rail-Type Electromagnetic Launcher

The inductance gradient is a crucial parameter for rail-type electromagnetic launcher, and its calculation is significant for launcher structural design and predicting the motion behavior of the armature. Considering that electromagnetic rail launch is a transient process, the transient inductance gradient of electromagnetic launch rail driven by different pulse current is calculated, and the time-varying effect of inductance gradient caused by current variation is studied. The results show that the transient change of pulse current in different stages will cause the transformation of rail current distribution, which affect the growth rate of the inductance gradient of electromagnetic launch rail. The inductance gradient has little change when the pulse-driven current is in the early stage of rising process and stable process, but when the pulse current is in the late stage of descent process, the faster it falls, the greater the growth rate of the inductance gradient.