An Initial Survey of the Life of Rail for Electromagnetic Launch

The rail life is an important factor that influences the rail-type electromagnetic launch (EML) engineering. This paper gives an introduction about the structure of the rail-type EML system, makes an analysis of some indirect or direct factors that affect the rail life, and points out the sectional characteristics of the rail life. By optimizing the armature-rail structural design and material matching and taking measures to control the discharge waveform of pulse current, it is possible to prevent the rail surface from being damaged. However, the mechanical fatigue caused by multiple launches and the plastic deformation under thermal stress will result in a decrease in performance of the rail.