LAUNCHERS DEVELOPMENT

RAIL GUN BARRELS WILL BE REQUIRED TO LAST FOR MULTIPLE SHOTS WITHOUT DETERIORATING PERFORMANCE. THE EROSION OF THE CONDUCTIVE RAILS IN CURRENTLY OPERATING ELECTROMAGNETIC LAUNCHERS LIMITS BOTH PERFORMANCE AND LIFETIME. IN THE PROPOSED PROGRAM, ADVANCED FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY WILL BE UTILIZED TO DEVELOP RAILS WITH EROSION-RESISTANCE SURFACE LAYERS BONDED TO THE BULK RAIL CONDUCTOR. A KEY FEATURE WILL BE AN EROSION-RESISTANT LAYER OF SUFFICIENT THICKNESS TO RESIST PLASMAARC EROSION FOR MANY SHOTS. PHASE I GOALS INCLUDE SELECTING CANDIDATE EROSION-RESISTANT SURFACE MATERIALS; DEVELOPING THE PROCEDURES AND ESTABLISHING THE FEASIBILITY OF BONDING THEM TO THE COPPER OR COPPER ALLOY RAIL SUBSTRATE, AND DESTRUCTIVELY EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF THE BONDS. THE FOCUS WILL BE ON REFRACTORY METAL AND CONDUCTIVE CERAMIC SURFACE LAYER MATERIALS WITH DEMONSTRATED EROSION RESISTANCE IN THE PRESENCE OF A PLASMA ARC. DEPENDING ON THE MATERIAL, THE LAYERS WILL BE APPLIED USING PSR'S LOW-TEMPERATURE, SOLID-STATE BONDING TECHNIQUE; CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION; OR HIGH-ENERGY DETONATION GUN SPRAYING. THE THREE MOST PROMISING CONCEPTS WILL BE FABRICATED INTO RAIL SEGMENTS FOR SCREENING TESTS IN A HIGH-ENERGY STANDING ARC.