Synergy of Melt-Wave and Electromagnetic Force on the Transition Mechanism in Electromagnetic Launch

Synergy of melting wave and electromagnetic force on the transition mechanism is studied in this paper. The 3-D electromagnetic field, temperature field, and structure field coupling model are established to simulate the velocity skin effect and melting wave phenomenon. It is found that the melting wave and electromagnetic force together lead to the occurrence of transition. And the two are inextricably linked. The melting wave will enlarge the separating electromagnetic force on the armature trailing arm. The separating electromagnetic force may result in the reduction of contact area, which would accelerate the melting wave. It is getting worse and worse, eventually lead to the transition. And the analytical results are consistent with the experimental phenomena. The transition prediction method will be more accurate when combining the melt-wave and the electromagnetic force.