Low Cost Vacuum Chamber Design for Electromagnetic Railgun Operation

Abstract

This report describes the design and fabrication of a low cost vacuum chamber capable of supporting the operation of an electromagnetic railgun. This would be used to simulate the impact of high velocity impacts in space. The vacuum chamber was constructed out of 10in diameter 10ft PVC pipe with a Wye fitting for viewing impacts during testing. The chamber was designed to accommodate a 6.5in X 6.5in X 60in railgun. The vacuum chamber feedthroughs were designed to be able to carry 1-2Mamps at 8kV to the railgun. The vacuum chamber is capable of reaching 50 Torr and remaining under 100 Torr for 11 minutes. The final cost of the chamber was $1325