Definitions for railgun
rail·gun

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. railgunnoun

   An electromagnetic gun that uses a large electrical current passing through, and propelling a bridge down a track of two conductive rails.

2. railgunnoun

   A railway gun.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Railgun

   A railgun or rail gun is a linear motor device, typically designed as a weapon, that uses electromagnetic force to launch high velocity projectiles. The projectile normally does not contain explosives, instead relying on the projectile's high speed, mass, and kinetic energy to inflict damage. The railgun uses a pair of parallel conductors (rails), along which a sliding armature is accelerated by the electromagnetic effects of a current that flows down one rail, into the armature and then back along the other rail. It is based on principles similar to those of the homopolar motor.As of 2020, railguns have been researched as weapons utilizing electromagnetic forces to impart a very high kinetic energy to a projectile (e.g. APFSDS) rather than using conventional propellants. While explosive-powered military guns cannot readily achieve a muzzle velocity of more than ≈2 km/s (Mach 5.9), railguns can readily exceed 3 km/s (Mach 8.8). For a similar projectile, the range of railguns may exceed that of conventional guns. The destructive force of a projectile depends upon its kinetic energy (the projectile's mass multiplied by its velocity squared, divided by 2) at the point of impact. Because of the potentially higher velocity of a railgun-launched projectile, its force may be much greater than conventionally launched projectiles of the same mass. The absence of explosive propellants or warheads to store and handle, as well as the low cost of projectiles compared to conventional weaponry, are also advantageous.Railguns are still very much at the research stage after decades of R&D, and it remains to be seen whether they will be deployed as practical military weapons in the foreseeable future. Any trade-off analysis between electromagnetic (EM) propulsion systems and chemical propellants for weapons applications must also factor in its durability, availability and economics, as well as the novelty, bulkiness, high energy demand and complexity of the pulsed power supplies that are needed for electromagnetic launcher systems.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Railgun

   A railgun is an electrically powered electromagnetic projectile launcher based on similar principles to the homopolar motor. A railgun comprises a pair of parallel conducting rails, along which a sliding armature is accelerated by the electromagnetic effects of a current that flows down one rail, into the armature and then back along the other rail. The armature may be an integral part of the projectile, but it may also be configured to accelerate a separate, electrically isolated or non-conducting projectile. Solid, metallic sliding conductors are often the preferred form of railgun armature but "plasma" or "hybrid" armatures can also be used. A plasma armature is formed by an arc of ionised gas that is used to push a solid, non-conducting payload in a similar manner to the propellant gas pressure in a conventional gun. A hybrid armature uses a pair of "plasma" contacts to interface a metallic armature to the gun rails. Solid armatures may also "transition" into hybrid armatures, typically after a particular velocity threshold is exceeded. In its simplest form, the railgun differs from a traditional homopolar motor in that no use is made of additional field coils. This configuration is thus a self-excited linear homopolar motor formed by a single loop of current.

How to pronounce railgun?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say railgun in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of railgun in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of railgun in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of railgun in a Sentence

1. Matthew Caris:

   The railgun is, for the moment, dead.

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References

1. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Railgun
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railgun
3. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=railgun