Some features of creating rail electromagnetic accelerators with a power shell made of composite materials are considered. Using the example of designs created by a number of US and European companies, it is shown that with the proper choice of materials, such designs are capable of providing the high rigidity necessary to accelerate the projectile to high velocities. It was found that at high velocities the role of non-stationary phenomena associated with the occurrence and propagation of vibrations in the accelerator elements and their interaction with the moving projectile increases. The most common models of mechanical interaction of the projectile with the walls of the accelerator channel are described, which, with some simplifications, allow obtaining analytical relationships linking the rail deflection with the main characteristics of the accelerator channel and the velocity of the projectile. A brief review of numerical methods for studying of the accelerator channel elements vibrations that occur during the movement of the projectile is given, and some results obtained with their help are presented. Ways to reduce the impact of vibrations on the operation of the accelerator are considered.

rail electromagnetic accelerator, composite power shell, rail vibrations

Mathematical modelling in actual problems of science and technics