Numerical Modeling of Helical Launchers

Helical launchers have become attractive because of their high inductance gradient that allows obtaining a large thrust force for a given feeding current. Furthermore, helical launchers are characterized by a large maximum theoretical efficiency also in constant current mode. The possible presence of destructive arcs and the dissipation of the commutation energy in the brush material are serious problems that affect these launchers. A numerical model based on an equivalent circuit approach is adopted in this paper to investigate the overall performance of the helical launchers and to examine brush commutation.