GPS guided rail gun rounds?!

[Sceadwian]

https://www.popsci.com/technology/a...-navy-wants-gps-guided-hypersonic-projectiles

How on this earth do you shock protect electronics to the degree that would allow them to sustain the acceleration of a rail gun?

 

[KJ6EAD]

Keep the mass low and pot in rigid foam?

 

[Sceadwian]

Here's a quick quote from the Wikipedia entry on Naval railguns.

The first weaponized railgun planned for production, the General Atomics Blitzer system, began full system testing in September 2010. The weapon launches a streamlined discarding sabot round designed by Boeing's Phantom Works at 1600 m/s (approximately Mach 5) with accelerations exceeding 60,000 g's.[19] During one of the tests, the projectile was able to travel an additional 7 km downrange after penetrating an 1/8 inch thick steel plate. The company hopes to have an integrated demo of the system by 2016 followed by production by 2019, pending funding. Thus far, the project is self-funded.[20]

How do you design an electronic component (and battery mind you) that can handle 60 THOUSAND g's of acceleration? I can understand mortar rounds or other artillery rounds having smart components added, but the basic engineering of a railgun makes smart rounds a stupid idea right from the start!

 

[tvtech]

Hi Scead

1600m/s. Jeez I can't get my head around that. Nice find with the railgun info.

I want to learn more about this

Cheers,
tvtech

 

[Sceadwian]

Yeah, it's a very cool toy tvtech, but honestly I think it's mostly wasted money, conventional weaponry already fills all the rolls it does, and we already spend too much on Military funding as it is.

 

[Mickster]

That may be so Scead, in respect of the obscene amounts of money poured into Mil projects designed for destruction, but there are spin-offs which can occur and benefit the non-Mil populace too, with potentially spectacular money-making results.

Dr. Percy Spencer made some observations during a radar-research project and changed the way that food can be cooked.

Who knows what potential side-effects could be discovered and realised from this project

 

[KJ6EAD]

One potential application would be the launching of payloads into low earth orbit. I can think of some awesome pest control scenarios too, like shooting down missiles using a box of ball bearings for ammunition.

 

[Sceadwian]

What payloads KJ6EAD? The current rounds undergo 6,000 G's of acceleration, and I don't think even those are capable of low earth orbit and they only launch a projectile the size of a dime.

True electro magnetic mass drivers would require a degree of engineering difference so great there is little to learn from these small scale examples.

Shooting down missiles yeah that's fine, that's also military and there are systems that can already do that.

Mickster, this isn't a broad reaching general discovery or application of new technology, this is simply a new way of making things to destroy things go fast.

I could see the application in space, but not in atmosphere.

 

[KJ6EAD]

Obviously, I was referring to the technology generally, not any specific device. Why do you post these cutting edge-technology things if you're just going to shoot down (pun intended) everyone's comments?

 

[Sceadwian]

The post was about adding smart munitions technology to a military round that under goes 6,000G's of acceleration. I'm not shooting anything down, again as I said the entire concept is so far beyond ludicrous it's not worth commenting on in the first place.

What amazes me is the number of current comments on the topic!

I've been following mass cannon technology for years, it's been ruled out as practically due to friction of the earths atmosphere. The chemical rockets we shoot off now can barely get out and look how fast they have to go! As speed increases so does friction/energy required.

 

[ronsimpson]

Smart electronics in a cannon shell dates back to the 1940s. Metal detectors built with vacuum tubes were put inside wore heads and fired into the air. If the shell got close to a airplane it went off. I don't know what the Gs are from a 8 inch gun. I think the project had limited success.

 

[dougy83]

One potential application would be the launching of payloads into low earth orbit. I can think of some awesome pest control scenarios too, like shooting down missiles using a box of ball bearings for ammunition.

NASA thought it might be a good idea too (launch assist): http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/0914/NASA-considering-rail-gun-launch-system / http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2010/12/nasa-looking-at-electric-railgun.html

 

[tvtech]

NASA thought it might be a good idea too (launch assist): http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/0914/NASA-considering-rail-gun-launch-system / http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2010/12/nasa-looking-at-electric-railgun.html

I am learning here. Interesting stuff guys.

 

[3v0]

Learning how to make electronics withstand these high G loads is in itself a good thing.