Acceleration of large projectiles with electrostatic forces

Abstract

Once one has taken into account basic shooting/launching issues like breach, barrel, and projectile, work on electrostatic forces can begin. Firstly, safety is a must, the static generator is not lethal but the capacitors are very lethal. Secondly, select material for the rings (i.e. surgical steel), determine Voltmax (in air or vacuum), and design a system to deliver the energy to a ring as the rear of a projectile passes through. If properly constructed, Voltmax=r1+r2 . . . rx or as a unit use ½ mv2. Outcome is very high muzzle exit velocity with extremely small recoil (≅10−23 joules).

Description

Be it known that QIS a company of the United States, residing at Phoenix in the country and state of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful improvements in accelerating large projectiles to high velocities, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

The subject of this invention is a novel method of and apparatus for accelerating large projectiles to high velocities.

The invention is based on the fact that opposite charges attract and like charges repel. As the projectile (electret) moves down a non-conductive barrel made to accommodate Accelerator rings, Force is added as the ring is charged with the same sign, as the projectile emerges from the ring. If the barrel is in atmosphere, the limiting factor is the breakdown value of air ≈30 Kv/Inch.

The following discussion and related FIGS. 1 & 2 are of a particular design. This is not intended to limit the use to particular projectiles nor to limit the design of the accelerator or chambering of the projectile for loading.

FIG. 1 illustrates a basic design to show major components. A is a CO₂ gun which gives the projectile its initial F & V. B is a projectile holder and inserts the projectile into C, the barrel. C has, at fixed distances, blocks D which hold segments of C, the accelerator rings E, the triggers F and the EDS to each E. The energy source G is one, which provides the appropriate energy based on the environmental conditions of the cannon. EDS are proprietary to QIS.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block D showing the basic arrangement of the components detailed in FIG. 1. The arrangement is such that as a projectile moves down C, it passes through a accelerating ring E and trips a trigger F which is placed some distance in front of E. The projectile trips F, F releases energy from EDS to the ring. This energy is of like sign as the projectile and thus adds F & V to the projectile in accordance with the mathematics described below.

MATHEMATICS

Rings provide a net E_z limited by breakdown on the tube so that (neglecting friction & drag) $m\left(d^{2}x/d{t}^2\right)=\mathrm{qE}E=\mathrm{Average}e\mathrm{lectric}\mathrm{field}$ $m,q=\mathrm{Charge}\&\mathrm{mass}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{projectile}$ $dx/dt=\left(\mathrm{qE}\text{/}m\right)t\mathrm{Velocity}$ $x\left(t\right)={\mathrm{qEt}}^2/2m=L\mathrm{Length}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{cannon}\mathrm{barrel}\Rightarrow t_p=\surd 2mL\text{/}\mathrm{qE}\mathrm{Time}\mathrm{in}\mathrm{cannon}$

Thus muzzle velocity at exit is $V_{\max }=\left(\mathrm{qE}\text{/}m\right)t_p=\mathrm{qE}\text{/}m\surd 2mL\text{/}\mathrm{qE}=\surd 2\mathrm{qEL}\text{/}m$

Use M.K.S. units

ILLUSTRATION

$E=30\mathrm{Kv}\text{/}\mathrm{cm}L=2\mathrm{meters}m=5\mathrm{gm}\left(5\times {10}^{-3}\mathrm{kg}\right)$ $\mathrm{choose}q\mathrm{to}\mathrm{be}\mathrm{just}\mathrm{limited}\mathrm{by}\mathrm{air}\mathrm{breakdown}\left(3\times {10}^{6}v\text{/}m\right)$ $\nabla ·\nabla =q\Rightarrow \nabla ·\mathrm{eE}=q\mathrm{or}\nabla ·E=q/e$ $\mathrm{Divergence}\mathrm{theorem}\Rightarrow E_{r}4\pi r^2=q/e$ $E_r=q/4\pi {\mathrm{er}}^2$

Field at surface of projectile (assumed to be a sphere) is: $E_s=q/4\pi {\mathrm{ea}}^{2}a=\mathrm{sphere}\mathrm{radius}\left(\mathrm{say}a=0.5\mathrm{cm}=5\times {10}^{-3}m\right)$ $e=e_0=8.854\times {10}^{-12}$ $\mathrm{Use}{e}_s=3\times {10}^{6}v\text{/}m$ $q=4\pi e_0{a}^2{E}_s\Rightarrow q=8.34\times {10}^{-9}\mathrm{coulombs}$ $V_{\max }=4.48\text{M}\text{/}\sec$

With much higher speeds in air drag will be very significant—for a sphere

Illustration 2; Test Rig Alpha

Projectile $\mathrm{mass}=0.617\mathrm{gm}10\mathrm{mm}\mathrm{dia}\left(41\mathrm{cal}.\mathrm{paint}\mathrm{ball}\right)$ $L={15}^{″}\mathrm{rings}{3}^{″}\mathrm{apart}\mathrm{source}{10}^{5}v$ $V_{\max }=3^{″}/\mathrm{.01}\mathrm{spcs}$ $V_{\max }=\surd 2\mathrm{qEL}\text{/}M=\surd 28.34\times {10}^{-7}\mathrm{coul}3\times {10}^6\mathrm{.381}/617\times {10}^{-3}=5.56m\text{/}\sec =219\mathrm{inches}\text{/}\sec =2.19\mathrm{inches}\text{/}\mathrm{.01}\sec$
Illustration 3; Es-1Beta

Test results: V_max=108 mph, 3rings, source=2⁵ v

Projectile: 9 mm Teflon bullet, 5 grams, 1″ length

Claims

1. A method to accelerate any size projectile to any velocity, including a method for initial F & V, a particular barrel and projectile designs, given the above conditions.

2. The accelerating system of claim one wherein the said voltage is stored, directed and deposited in the spirit of the disclosure.

3. There exist methods to improve the projectile muzzle exit velocity such as in Vaccu or pulling with unlike sign and pushing with like sign from each accelerator ring among others.

4. The present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims, the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of the equivalents of the claims and descriptions are therefore intended to be embraced therein.