Alternate Sled Track Braking Mechanism

American Maglev Technology of Florida (AMT), in conjunction with subcontractors American Electromechanics (AE), HTS International Corporation (HTS), the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), and Vectorworks Marine (VM, or collectively, the Project Team), have designed and simulated a passive eddy-current braking system for integration onto test sleds at the Supersonic Naval Ordinance Research Track (SNORT). The system was designed to accomplish the same results of the facility’s current water-braking system and fit in the existing allocated spaces, while offering higher reliability, shorter setup time, lower maintenance and lifecycle costs, and minimal calibration setup. Using common neodymium magnets, the solution is completely passive and capable of producing braking force over a large range of speeds.  In Phase II, the Project Team will construct an integrated eddy current brake model to enable a more comprehensive analysis of the candidate solution and allow for parametric studies and brake optimization. A complete engineering of the braking solution will be completed, with aerodynamic analysis, vibration analysis, and materials optimization analysis to maximize performance. A MATLAB or spreadsheet-based, executable program will also be furnished to assist Navy staff in predicting and anticipating stopping distances, velocities and other key variables during everyday sled operations. We will construct a full-scale prototype of the solution and undergo a low-speed testing program to prove out the concept. The prototype will be delivered to China Lake for inspection and low-speed testing with rocket motors up to 100 ft/s. Higher-speed testing (up to 650 ft/s and above) will be a part of the Phase II Option program, to determine if the concept is capable of replacing the Navy's current water-brake setup. We expect to demonstrate system performance through prototype evaluation and testing over the required range of parameters including numerous deployment cycles to verify test results and inform the next steps in the development of this technology.