Coilgun

A coilgun (also known as Gauss gun or Gauss rifle) is a type of cannon that uses a series of electromagnets to accelerate a magnetic shell to very high velocities. The appellation "Gauss gun" comes from Carl Friedrich Gauss, who formulated mathematical descriptions of the electromagnetic effect used by coilguns.

Overview

Coilguns are often mistakenly called railguns by many sources, and while they are similar in general concept (that is, a magnetic gun), they differ in operation, as a railgun accelerates projectiles down two parallel conducting rails. Coilguns are essentially identical to mass drivers, though on a smaller scale.

Related Topics:
Railgun - Mass driver

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kristian Birkeland is commonly considered the inventor of the electromagnetic coilgun, for which he obtained a patent in 1900. The attempts to turn his invention into a usable weapon failed, and the idea was more or less forgotten for many years.

Related Topics:
Kristian Birkeland - 1900

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many hobbyists use low-cost rudimentary designs to experiment with coilguns. One such design would incorporate the use of photoflash capacitors from a disposable camera as the energy source, and a low inductance coil to propel the projectile forward.

Related Topics:
Photoflash capacitor - Disposable camera

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~