Mathematical design of a pulsed power induction coilgun system using the taguchi method

Induction coilgun systems have been receiving great attention, recently, due to the advantage of its non-contact between the stator and armature coils. Several studies present the simulation and analysis of the coilgun system by using the finite element method. However, there are still deficiencies in current modeling studies of the coilgun system. This paper presents a mathematical design of a multi-stage pulsed power induction coilgun system, using the Taguchi method to maximize its efficiency and reduce the time and cost of the design process. A coilgun system was analyzed and designed mathematically using a state-space equation system. The Taguchi method was applied in order to evaluate and determine the geometric variables, the layer, turn layer numbers for both the stator and armature coils, and the trigger positions of each stage. A finite element method model of the coilgun system was developed in order to compare the analysis results to the mathematical design. The energy efficiency of the three-stage coilgun system was 31.3%, and this is expected to increase along with the number of stages.