ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces a multiphysics-based modeling technique for a rail gun launcher using the finite element method. The multiphysics modeling was conducted for a rail gun launcher to predict the exit velocity of the launch object, temperature distribution, and thermal contact stress distribution. Electric and thermal conductivities at the interface between the armature and rails contribute significantly to the electromagnetic and temperature fields. As the armature and the rails are in contact with each other, electricity and heat pass through the contact surfaces. The average temperature at the interfaces was lower in the case of copper armature/aluminum rail than that in the case of the opposite material combination. As the armature moved down the rails with time, the heat generated from the electric current was conducted along the rails and dissipated.
