An EM driver for accelerating an object may be configured as an EM rifle for accelerating, rotating to spin-stabilize, and releasing a projectile. A core includes a stator coil, forward and reverse coils, a railed shaft, and a transfer shaft. The stator coil generates a first EM field, and the forward and reverse coils generate second and third EM fields which interact with the first EM field to accelerate the armature in forward and reverse directions, respectively. The railed shaft is elongated along a central axis through the armature and includes multiple rails arranged helically around a central shaft. The armature remains in contact with the rails during acceleration so as to impart a turning motion. The transfer shaft is physically coupled with and projects forwardly from the armature and transfers to the projectile the acceleration and the turning motion of the armature in the forward direction.

A thermal management system for a pulse load on an aircraft. The thermal management system utilizing the reserve fuel from the aircraft to create thermal capacitance such that the instantaneous capacity of the cooling system to remove heat from the aircraft may be sized less than the rate of heat generated by the pulsed load (e.g. laser, radar, rail gun etc.) The reserve fuel is maintained at a temperature in a reservoir and cooled via a cooling system. Fuel from the reservoir is selectively mixed with fuel exiting the pulsed load heat exchanger to provide fuel to the inlet of the heat exchanger at a predetermined temperature, the temperature based at least upon the heat generated by the laser, flow rate of fuel and efficiency of the heat exchanger.

A liner motor based on radical magnetic tubes includes: a dynamicer (mover, QDZ) and a stator (STA), the structure of the stator (STA) is: a stator magnetic tube (SCG) is nested into the inner wall of a pure iron tube (DTG), the stator magnetic tube (SCG) provides a radial magnetic field, a stator tube (DZGD) is formed within the stator magnetic tube (SCG), the dynamicer can travel in the stator tube; the dynamicer iron core is a tube of a radial magnetic field and installed on a tubular coil skeleton, on which winding the dynamicer coil to form the dynamicer main body; the sliders (HDZ) are installed on both ends of the dynamicer main body load.

A thermal management system for a pulse load on an aircraft. The thermal management system utilizing the reserve fuel from the aircraft to create thermal capacitance such that the instantaneous capacity of the cooling system to remove heat from the aircraft may be sized less than the rate of heat generated by the pulsed load (e.g. laser, radar, rail gun etc.) The reserve fuel is maintained at a temperature in a reservoir and cooled via a cooling system. Fuel from the reservoir is selectively mixed with fuel exiting the pulsed load heat exchanger to provide fuel to the inlet of the heat exchanger at a predetermined temperature, the temperature based at least upon the heat generated by the laser, flow rate of fuel and efficiency of the heat exchanger.

An accelerator for a projectile includes a coil; an H-bridge coupled to the coil with four relays S1-S4, and a controller to control current flow in the coil, wherein when relays S1 and S4 are on and relays S2 and S3 are off, current goes through the coil in one direction, and when the states of the relays are switched, current direction reverses, wherein switching the current direction ensures that the projectile has a positive acceleration.

An electromagnetic launcher with a curved or spiral-shaped, open-ended guideway and conductors for launching a projectile. The projectile, movably retained on or within the guideway, is accelerated along the guideway using electromagnetic forces until it reaches an end of the guideway, then the projectile is launched in a desired direction. The direction of the launch of the projectile is determined by orienting the guideway in the desired direction using an actuator.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of slowing down a moving projectile, the projectile moving within an electromagnetic railgun, the method comprising: using an electromagnetic field generated by the railgun to slow down the projectile, wherein the projectile is a munitions projectile, and/or a carrier for catching the munitions projectile.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of slowing down a moving projectile, the projectile moving within an electromagnetic railgun, the method comprising: using an electromagnetic field generated by the railgun to slow down the projectile, wherein the projectile is a munitions projectile, and/or a carrier for catching the munitions projectile.

The present disclosure relates to a launch system, a launch vehicle for use with the launch system, and methods of launching a payload utilizing the launch vehicle and/or the launch system. The disclosure can provide for delivery of the payload at a terrestrial location, an Earth orbital location, or an extraorbital location. The launch vehicle can comprise a payload, a propellant tank, an electrical heater wherein propellant, such as a light gas (e.g., hydrogen) is electrically heated to significantly high temperatures, and an exhaust nozzle from which the heated propellant expands to provide an exhaust velocity of, for example, 7-16 km/sec. The launch vehicle can be utilized with the launch system, which can further comprise a launch tube formed of at least one tube, which can be electrically conductive and which can be combined with at least one insulator tube. An electrical energy source, such as a battery bank and associated inductor, can be provided.

An electromagnetic launcher with a curved or spiral-shaped, open-ended guideway and conductors for launching a projectile. The projectile, movably retained on or within the guideway, is accelerated along the guideway using electromagnetic forces until it reaches an end of the guideway, then the projectile is launched in a desired direction. The direction of the launch of the projectile is determined by orienting the guideway in the desired direction using an actuator.