# A comparison of C-shaped and brush armature performance

## TL;DR

This study systematically compares C-shaped and brush armature technologies in railgun launch packages, analyzing their efficiency and energy conversion under similar experimental conditions.

## Contribution

It provides a direct experimental comparison of C-shaped and brush armatures, highlighting differences in energy losses and conversion efficiency.

## Key findings

- C-shaped armatures have higher total losses.
- Brush armatures exhibit better energy conversion efficiency.
- C-shaped armatures convert electrical energy into kinetic energy more effectively.

## Abstract

The most important part of a railgun launch package is the armature where the electromagnetic force is generated leading to the acceleration of the launch package. In case of metal armatures, the most commonly used armature types are the C-shape and the multi-fiber brush technology. However, rarely both armature types were systematically compared under similar experimental conditions. That is why we constructed launch packages based on the C-shaped and brush armature technology with comparable armature and payload mass. With these launch packages a series of experiments were performed in an energy range between 0.8 MJ and 1.13 MJ corresponding to a speed range between 950 m/s and 1400 m/s. The results of the experiments were then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. On the one hand our results show that the total losses are higher for the C-shaped armature technology than for the brush aramture technology. On the other hand our results show that launch packages based on the C-shaped technology convert better electrical energy into kinetic energy.