How a Rail Gun Works
Image copyrighted by NAVSEA
Dahlgren
The energy requirements of
a Rail Gun are very high, requiring an Integrated Power System (IPS) approach
whereby the ship's power plant is used in place of the conventional propellant
ILP = Integrated Launch Package
PFN = Pulse Forming Network
Image copyrighted by NAVSEA
Dahlgren
Notional Hypersonic Projectile and Gun
Barrel Cross Section
Image copyrighted by NAVSEA
Dahlgren
Rail Gun Mounting on a DD(X) Destroyer
This view shows the Notional Rail Gun
occupying the same volume as used by AGS
Note the Compensated Pulsed Alternators
on the lowest deck, the small size of the projectile storage and the projectile
emerging from the armature/sabot
Image copyrighted by NAVSEA
Dahlgren
Photograph taken from a high-speed video camera during a firing of lab electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia. The railgun was fired at 10.64MJ (megajoules) and the projectile attained a muzzle velocity of 8,268 fps (2,520 mps).
US Navy Photograph # 080131-N-0000X-001
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) 32 MJ (megajoules) Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) laboratory launcher, located at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in Dahlgren, Virginia
US Navy Photograph # 080128-N-7676W-027
Off-Site Resources
Video
Clip of Railgun being Fired
(requires Windows Media Player or Equivalent)