fisher@star.DEC (Burns Fisher ZKO1-1/D42 DTN 381-1466) (01/21/86)
>> >Sorry, computer grade capacitors aren't of any use for >> >building railguns. They have too much internal inductance >> >to supply the sort of short, high-current pulse that you >> >would need. They won't even explode wires! You might >> >have better luck with photo-flash capacitors charged to >> >an appropriately high voltage... >> >> Rats! > >Are you sure about this? Just how short a pulse is needed, anyway? >I used 'computer grade' capacitors of about 20,000 mfd charged >to 20v or so to launch model rockets (circa 1972). They did >a dandy job of vaporizing the nichrom wire igniters! (Though >they did have enough charge left after the first launch to ignite >one, and sometimes two, additional rockets). > >It was my understanding that rail guns took a fractional second >to a few seconds to accelerate something depending on design. >Surely a model could be built that would be able to use computer >grade caps? >-- >E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems > >This is the obligatory disclaimer of everything. Sorry, E. Michael, I don't think that proves much. I used flashlight batteries (or at most, a lantern battery), and they gave the nichrome a nice cherry glow! Burns ...decwrl!rhea!star!fisher