Optimal Design of a Multistage Induction Coil Launcher

This article introduces an optimal design method for a multistage induction coil launcher. Considering the magnetic coupling and the effect of the armature’s resistance, the basic criteria to select the structure of the driving coil and armature are proposed, and the genetic algorithm is introduced to optimize the pending parameters. Based on the principle that the current in the driving coil matches the movement state of the armature, the design method of optimal capacitor parameters is deduced. The results show that the design error is less than 1%. For a multistage induction coil launcher, the optimization is carried out stage by stage. The effect of the stage spacing between driving coils is analyzed, and it is found that changing the direction of the current in driving coils helps to improve the system efficiency. Finally, based on the above optimal design method, a multistage induction coil launcher is designed, and the energy conversion efficiency of the system is close to 40%.