Latest news with #electromagnetic
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China's new X-shaped rail gun design doubles firepower and improves range
Chinese researchers are experimenting with a new rail gun design to help overcome the firepower limitations of existing designs. They believe that stacking two rail guns in an X-shape in a single barrel could be the solution they need. A rail gun is a futuristic weapon that utilizes electromagnetic force, rather than explosives or gunpowder, to launch projectiles. Designs vary, but rail guns typically utilize electricity to generate powerful magnetic fields that accelerate a projectile to extremely high speeds, around Mach 7 (approximately 5,344 mph or 8,600 kph). Many nations around the world have experimented with the technology, with China developing its own version in 2018. This gun was mounted on the Haiyangshan, a Chinese Type 072III-class landing ship, and was seen as a first-of-its-kind at the time. Meanwhile, the U.S. has abandoned its rail gun program owing to cost, complexity, and the rise of hyper-sonic missiles. Japan is working on a smaller rail gun—essentially a technology demonstrator—that fires tiny 0.66-pound (300g) shells from ships. X marks the spot China's existing rail gun, which seemed insurmountable during its induction, has displayed its set of limitations over time. Being a naval gun, the weapon needs to pack a punch but this requires more power, which in turn leads to issues. Too much current melts the metal components, like the U-shaped armature (which helps carry current and launch the shell). Magnetic forces can tear apart melted metal mid-shot, likened to a "magnetic saw." This leads to the rails getting damaged, reducing performance. At present, the navy's rail gun is capped at firing 33-pound (15 kg) shells, which is not nearly enough to damage a ship—suggesting the weapon is not yet war-ready. In a bid to address the issue, a group of Chinese army researchers—led by associate professor Lyu Qingao from the Army Engineering University of PLA in Shijiazhuang—proposed a x-shaped 'double-decker' rail gun which could overcome power limitations. To this end, the design features each rail gun having its own power circuit, allowing them to operate independently but in parallel. The setup utilizes four rails and two U-armatures that work together. Patent pending Vertical magnetic fields don't interfere with each other, so stacking two rail guns does not reduce performance. You can think of it like twin engines on a rocket, delivering more power without one interfering with the other. This design, the team believes, will enable the weapon to launch a 132-pound (60 kg) shell at speeds of at least Mach 7. The improved ordinance size also happens to be four times more than the current Chinese Navy requirement. The team has already filed a patent for the new 'x-shape armature' technology, but has not conducted any live-fire tests as yet. If the trials prove successful, it should translate to ranges in the region of 248 miles (400 km), with the shell able to cross that distance in as little as 6 minutes. The team also believes the impact speed of the shell could exceed Mach 4 on target. However, researchers caution that the 'proximity effect' (interference between nearby electrical currents) may still cause issues with performance and reliability. To this end, real-world testing is necessary to demonstrate its effectiveness. Solve the daily Crossword
South China Morning Post
04-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
World's fastest coilgun from China, Covid ‘lab-leak' theory debunked: 7 science highlights
We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing A Chinese electromagnetic coil gun capable of firing at 3,000 rounds per minute – a rate that obliterates traditional firearms and greatly surpasses US commercial models by orders of magnitude – has been captured on video. A state-backed Chinese research team has achieved a breakthrough in developing a hypersonic engine powered by ordinary jet fuel, reigniting global debates over the viability of a technology proposed by US military nearly 70 years ago. Zhou Zhongpeng, a 28-year-old Peking University doctoral dropout turned tech engineer, has deciphered one of mathematics' most cryptic frontiers dubbed the 'alien's language' for its impenetrable 2,000-page framework and extraterrestrial-like notation. Horseshoe bats are the primary host for the ancestor of the viruses behind Covid-19 and the Sars outbreak of 2002-2004. Photo: Handout A landmark international study has offered compelling evidence that the coronavirus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic did not originate in Wuhan, China, challenging US President Donald Trump's laboratory leak theory. After spending 35 years in the United States pioneering research on the neural circuits that govern sleep and executive brain functions of the frontal cortex, neuroscientist Dan Yang has returned to China to join the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) as a senior principal investigator. Leading Chinese radar expert Li Chunsheng has died at the age of 62. Advertisement An obituary published by his university on Monday said he had 'devoted himself to developing China's aerospace industry'. Chinese researchers have identified the 70-year-old B-52 Stratofortress as posing the most significant threat to China's naval forces and inland targets in the event of a tactical nuclear strike from the US. Photo: AFP A threat assessment by a Chinese research team into the US military's capability of launching a tactical nuclear air strike on China has come up with some unexpected findings.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
PLA scientists reveal tech breakthrough behind world's fastest coilgun
Chinese electromagnetic coil gun capable of firing at 3,000 rounds per minute – a rate that obliterates traditional firearms and greatly surpasses US commercial models by orders of magnitude – has been captured on video. The footage, released by state-owned arms manufacturer China South Industries Group (CSGC) on April 18, has raised eyebrows among military experts as the firing capacity greatly outstrips current weaponry and could redefine future combat. While the CSGC remained tight-lipped about the technology involved, a peer-reviewed paper published on Monday by a team of military scientists offered a hint: the world's first capacitor-free electromagnetic coil gun, powered directly by lithium batteries The breakthrough, detailed in China's Journal of Gun Launch & Control, centres on eliminating the Achilles' heel of electromagnetic weapons – capacitors. Recent footage of the Chinese electromagnetic coil gun, which can fire 3,000 rounds per minute, shows it can shatter car windows and demolish door panels in seconds. Photo: douyin Capacitors are devices that store electrical energy and until now coil guns have relied on that energy for rapid discharge, a process that creates lag times for recharging. This limitation had capped the firing rate of early Chinese prototypes and the US-made GR-1 'Anvil' to 100 rounds per minute.
