Coilgun Barrel Material?

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PF09
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Coilgun Barrel Material?

Post by PF09 »

Is it possible to build a coilgun barrel out of metal? If I insulate the coils from the barrel, would it still interfere with the magnetic field?
jkarnes
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Re: Coilgun Barrel Material?

Post by jkarnes »

Hello,

I'd recommend checking out the materials and procedure of this project:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... auss-rifle

noting that the terms "Gauss rifle" and "coilgun" are often used interchangeably.

Many coilgun designs do not require a barrel at all, but I would assume that a conductive (metal) barrel will exhibit some 'Faraday cage' behavior (also depending if your fields are static or oscillating), ultimately reducing the velocity of your projectile.

-John
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