EP0182947A1 - Armature linéaire de fibres pour lanceur électromagnétique - Google Patents

Armature linéaire de fibres pour lanceur électromagnétique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0182947A1
EP0182947A1 EP84308277A EP84308277A EP0182947A1 EP 0182947 A1 EP0182947 A1 EP 0182947A1 EP 84308277 A EP84308277 A EP 84308277A EP 84308277 A EP84308277 A EP 84308277A EP 0182947 A1 EP0182947 A1 EP 0182947A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sleeve
conductive fibers
armature
support structure
fibers
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP84308277A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0182947B1 (fr
Inventor
Joseph Scuro
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Westinghouse Electric Corp
Original Assignee
Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority to DE8484308277T priority Critical patent/DE3478341D1/de
Priority to EP19840308277 priority patent/EP0182947B1/fr
Publication of EP0182947A1 publication Critical patent/EP0182947A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0182947B1 publication Critical patent/EP0182947B1/fr
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41B—WEAPONS FOR PROJECTING MISSILES WITHOUT USE OF EXPLOSIVE OR COMBUSTIBLE PROPELLANT CHARGE; WEAPONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F41B6/00—Electromagnetic launchers ; Plasma-actuated launchers
    • F41B6/006—Rail launchers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R41/00—Non-rotary current collectors for maintaining contact between moving and stationary parts of an electric circuit

Definitions

  • This invention relates to armatures for conducting very large currents between parallel rails of electromagnetic launchers and more particularly to such armatures employing multiple conducting fibers to conduct current between the launcher rails.
  • sliding conductive armature serves to conduct current between the rails and is subjected to an electromagnetic force which propels the armature and an associated projectile toward the muzzle end of the rails. Because of the high currents involved in the electromagnetic propulsion of projectiles, sliding conductive armatures must be designed to minimize electrical contact resistance, to have sufficient contact force to maintain a low contact voltage drop in order to prevent rail damage caused by arcing, to have sufficient compliance to accommodate both its own ware and changes in the distance between the launcher rails, and to minimize damage resulting from resistive heating.
  • an armature for conducting large D.C. currents, between a pair of electrically conductive rails, comprises an insulating support structure, a plurality of conductive fibers, a sleeve having an opening in which said conductive fibers are positioned said conductive fibers being compacted to a maximum packing density within said sleeve, and means for mounting said sleeve on said support structure.
  • a plurality of cantilevered conductive fibers of this structure are angled and spiralled for low contact load.
  • Maximum packing density of the fibers within the sleeve produces a uniform current distribution which eliminates excessive current density concentrations and prevents gross armature melting.
  • a high current brush constructed in accordance with this invention comprises: a plurality of conductive fibers; a sleeve having an opening through which said conductive fibers pass; and wherein said conductive fibers are compacted to a maximum density within said sleeve.
  • FIG. 1 shows a top view of an armature assembly.
  • a brush assembly comprising a plurality of conductive fibers 10 pass through an opening in sleeve 12, is attached to an insulating support structure 14 by a brush holder mounting means 16.
  • the insulating support structure 14 is sized to slide between a pair of parallel launching rails in an electromagnetic launcher and serves to position the brush assembly between the rails.
  • an opening 18 is shown within insulating support structure 14 for receiving a projectile.
  • the insulating support structure 14 may itself be the projectile, may lie adjacent to a projectile, or may be associated with a projectile in some other manner.
  • the sleeve 12 of the brush assembly passes through an opening in mounting means 16 and is held in place by a set screw 20.
  • FIG 2 is a side view of the armature assembly of Figure 1.
  • This embodiment uses two fiber brush assemblies each of which contains ten bundles of 0.006" copper fibers such as those used to form flexible commercial welding type cable. Each bundle contains 1,100 wire fibers. These bundles were inserted into openings of cylindrical annealed copper sleeves 12. The copper sleeves were then rotary swaged until conductive fibers 10 reached a maximum packing density within each sleeve and thereby formed a single solidified connection. The sleeves 12 were inserted into an aluminum mounting block 16 and secured by way of set screws 20. A bolt 22 serves as means for attaching mounting block 16 to insulating support structure 14.
  • FIG 3 is a top view of the brush assembly of the armature assembly of Figure 1.
  • Each end of sleeve 12 is beveled at an angle 24 of 10° to form a narrow side 26 and a wide side 28.
  • the narrow side 26 of sleeve 12 is mounted closest to the insulating support structure 14.
  • Multiple conductive fibers 10 pass through an opening in sleeve 12 and are spiralled with respect to the axis of sleeve 12.
  • the conductive fibers 10 have been bent as a whole to an angle 30 of 40° at the trailing edge and an angle 32 of 10° at the forward edge.
  • the ends of conductive fibers 10 are cut along two planes which lie perpendicular to the axis of sleeve 12. To improve electrical contact between conductive fibers 10 and the projectile launching rails of the launcher, the ends of conductive fiber 10 are polished to a flat surface.
  • Armature assemblies in accordance with this invention have been constructed and tested in an electromagnetic launcher.
  • One of these armature assemblies having a brush assembly comprising 7,700 copper fibers, each having a diameter of 0.006"
  • the projectile and armature assembly left the barrel intact and went through ⁇ the center of a 1 ⁇ 4" thick steel witness plate before being destructively caught in a catch tank.
  • Rail damage was minimal, with two smooth dime-shaped holes about 2 millimeters deep having been produced approximately 15 centimeters from the breech of the launcher. The remainder of the rails and insulation showed no damage although all interior surfaces were coated with a thin layer of soot.
  • the spiralled fibers provide self support and limit deflection while in the presence of high electromagnetic fields. Spiralling allows compliance to variations along the contact rails as the armature travels to maintain good electrical contact, thereby reducing the destructive effects of arcing. Through the use of flexible conductive fibers, low contact forces are required to make good electrical contact, thereby resulting in low friction losses.
  • the brush assembly of the armature assembly of this invention has been as an efficient linear sliding contact during a pulsed application, it can also be used as a continuous operating brush on a slip ring surface. Because the conductive fibers have been solidified within the sleeve of the brush assembly, soldering.or joining heavy electrical conductors to the brush is possible and can readily be made when required.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Elimination Of Static Electricity (AREA)
  • Motor Or Generator Current Collectors (AREA)
  • Linear Motors (AREA)
EP19840308277 1984-11-29 1984-11-29 Armature linéaire de fibres pour lanceur électromagnétique Expired EP0182947B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE8484308277T DE3478341D1 (en) 1984-11-29 1984-11-29 Linear fiber armature for electromagnetic launchers
EP19840308277 EP0182947B1 (fr) 1984-11-29 1984-11-29 Armature linéaire de fibres pour lanceur électromagnétique

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19840308277 EP0182947B1 (fr) 1984-11-29 1984-11-29 Armature linéaire de fibres pour lanceur électromagnétique

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0182947A1 true EP0182947A1 (fr) 1986-06-04
EP0182947B1 EP0182947B1 (fr) 1989-05-24

Family

ID=8192826

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19840308277 Expired EP0182947B1 (fr) 1984-11-29 1984-11-29 Armature linéaire de fibres pour lanceur électromagnétique

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0182947B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE3478341D1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4422394B4 (de) * 1994-06-27 2004-03-25 Deutsch-Französisches Forschungsinstitut Saint-Louis, Saint-Louis Beschleunigungseinrichtung zum Beschleunigen eines Flugkörpers
DE102005055706B4 (de) * 2004-12-02 2013-12-05 Deutsch-Französisches Forschungsinstitut Saint-Louis Mobile elektrische Kontaktvorrichtung mit großer Leiterlänge

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1093895B (de) * 1958-09-24 1960-12-01 Nelken Kg Dr Ewald Buerstenkontakt fuer starre und bewegliche Vorrichtungen von Klemmkontakten und Stromabnehmern
US3917995A (en) * 1974-08-26 1975-11-04 Henry H Clinton Movable brush assembly for making electrical contact with the outer surface of an electrical cable
EP0054380A2 (fr) * 1980-12-15 1982-06-23 Litton Systems, Inc. Assemblages de bagues collectrices et de balais
US4457205A (en) * 1981-12-09 1984-07-03 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multiple fiber armatures for electromagnetic launchers

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1093895B (de) * 1958-09-24 1960-12-01 Nelken Kg Dr Ewald Buerstenkontakt fuer starre und bewegliche Vorrichtungen von Klemmkontakten und Stromabnehmern
US3917995A (en) * 1974-08-26 1975-11-04 Henry H Clinton Movable brush assembly for making electrical contact with the outer surface of an electrical cable
EP0054380A2 (fr) * 1980-12-15 1982-06-23 Litton Systems, Inc. Assemblages de bagues collectrices et de balais
US4457205A (en) * 1981-12-09 1984-07-03 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multiple fiber armatures for electromagnetic launchers

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4422394B4 (de) * 1994-06-27 2004-03-25 Deutsch-Französisches Forschungsinstitut Saint-Louis, Saint-Louis Beschleunigungseinrichtung zum Beschleunigen eines Flugkörpers
DE102005055706B4 (de) * 2004-12-02 2013-12-05 Deutsch-Französisches Forschungsinstitut Saint-Louis Mobile elektrische Kontaktvorrichtung mit großer Leiterlänge

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3478341D1 (en) 1989-06-29
EP0182947B1 (fr) 1989-05-24

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