LAGRANGIAN DESCRIPTION AND FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF RELUCTANCE ACCELERATOR CIRCUIT MODEL

Abstract

Lagrangian description of electrical circuit model of a reluctance type accelerator system is introduced. The effectiveness of the general purpose magnetostatic finite element analysis (FEA) tools on the introduced model is demonstrated. Electrical equivalent circuit model of the system lays out many properties of the system in terms of voltage, current, power or energy distributions of electrical components, and also electrical equivalent of the mechanical components, in an easily perceivable form. These type of actuators are simple mechanisms when they are in steady state. However, when they are in transient, their dynamics may become very complex. The aim of the study is to show how this approach allows many researchers without the full electromagnetic background, to model and understand the dynamics of the reluctance type linear or rotary motor or actuators whether they are saturated or not. To exhibit the validity of the proposed model and solution of dynamic behaviors with FEA, it is verified on a basiccapacitor discharge type driver circuit including the electromagnetic accelerator coil and projectile.

Keywords

• lagrangian description
• reluctance accelerator
• electromagnetic accelerator
• coil gun
• electromagnetic launcher