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Stark coil gun

Coil gun

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Currently in three models who all have their own pcb iterations for coils numbers.

Stark 2.0
- feature RF remote control for charging the capacitor bank and shooting, design revisited of the first generation, 3d printed ammo magazine for continuous firing, boost module back in a separate pcb.

Stark 1.55
- Feature acrylic enclosure and supports continuous firing via shell design, boost module integrated on motherboard, up to 2J, charging time with a 675W power supply is one second !

Stark 1.0 (first gen)
Not much to say, first generation, up to 4J, boost module separated.

Concept and design of a coilgun.

Let's start by the usual warning for this kind of project: If you aren't confident enough with electricity and especially high voltage, drop the idea of constructing a coil gun, it looks cool but there is enough amps to kill you if you are doing something wrong. so... beware and always wear safety equipment, protective glasses, adapted gloves and common sense.

This said, here is a view of my coil gun.

Let's explain the above image, and how everything work.

70TPS12: Thyristor, 70A rated - this is device something like combination of diode and transistor. (diode with gate) normal diode turn ON when voltage exceeds 0.7v, but thyristor turn ON when voltage exceeds 0.7v and gate signal presents.

We should give signal to gate to turn on the circuit.

Not like transistors, thyristor can be used to switch high voltages and current, so here thyristor is to connect capacitor to coil.

When that happens capacitor energy flow to coil and magnetic field occurs.

Here SCR is the thyristor, capacitor is charged to high voltage, when trigger switch press, thyristor turns ON and conduct.
Picture took from https://hackaday.io/project/2061 (have a look at his project, this guy did also neat work)

DC-DC boost module (ZVS):

The 7 segment display is a mini 3-wire voltmeter and the pulse transformer is know as ZVS, with a 675W power supply, charging time is one second.

Capacitor bank is used to store high voltage (energy) and release whenever needed. these stored energy will go through coil as a current and coil will generate a high magnetic field. that will accelerate the projectile.

Coil gun animation by ZeroOne.

Diodes are in parrallel with coil but reverse direction. that will provide path to coil curent when it power off.
When coil current stop suddenly there occur very high voltage in reverse direction, so if we don't use diode that may cause to damage the circuit (it is a theory about inductors.. we can't stop current in a inductor suddenly, it will cause to have high voltage).
Diode are 6A10 and FR607 with 2 her308.

Keep in mind that if you are going to switch off inductor suddenly, you can't do it. if you do it quickly there will be a spark due to induced high voltage.

Optical trigger is used to turn off the coil when the projectile is detected.
Infront of IR led (white led) there is IR receiver (black LED)
So when projectile reach there, system detects. Then you can see a transistor, that transistor will amplifiy that signal and send signal to SCR (thyristor) so thyristor get activates.
You can see Transistor very closer to the receiver.


Coils are done with a tool. (this is just for esthetic appeal) We made composed of 3 parts, shaft with end stop, one ring to fit inside and a gauge to know where to stop our winding.

Second fence on the ring is here to 'lock' the begining of magnet wire, we just have to insert it and block it with a finger, then start winding by turning our magnet wire on the shaft.
During the winding process a mini dose of cyanoacrylate is applied on the layer to keep the wires 'blocked' and to have a 'good looking' coil.

When done, we just have to pull the ring out of the shaft to pull also the coil. and reinsert it on our PVC pipe.

Last pics presenting the rest.

High current paths are soldered to increase capability.

Continuous firing via shell design:

Connections:

  • Stark 1.0

    Xylitol05/21/2017 at 15:16 1 comment

    I finally had the motivation for a photoshoot.

    Video:

    Next changes/todo/friend requests:
    - Obligatory laser
    - Adafruit NeoPixel
    - Moar coils
    - 7 segments ammo counter
    - Portability (2200mAh 11.1V lipo maybe)
    - gun reshaping and costume

  • Stark 2.0

    Xylitol03/31/2017 at 18:40 0 comments

    Hello,
    I finally took time to take pictures of the new verion and also because i got an amazing artwork by the crew of HackerStrip (the webcomic series) thx!

    I asked them to draw me a character with a coilgun, it has been an idea who throttle in my head since a bit of time now.

    Id like to do my own cosplay and i've already some ideas, coil gun with portable power supply backpack something like the ghostbuster proton gun, a trench coat similar to Hei in Darker Than Black, i've not yet defined a name or even the final clothing/style and coil gun design.

    Anyway the gun would be probably not a functional unit to avoid fatigue of carrying coil gun weight all day, and danger problem in congress.

    I think about cosplaying a lot these days and i'm repicking design ideas a bit from everyone on HaD coil gun projects.

    revisited but haven't changed much.

    Most notable feature is the remote control for charging/shooting

    ZVS is back again in a single board like the first generation of Stark

    The shooting is done tought a solenoid who push the projectile

    3D printed ammo magazine:

    Flyway tube

    Note that metal tube do an induced current in the magnetic field and produce Foucault current and reverse magnetic field who inevitably reduce efficiency.
    Coils isn't directly on the metal pipe to avoid sparks at high voltage, this one is more about style rather than kinetic energy.


    Ferromagnetic projectile (no steel ball like in 1.55)


    Detail on the coil and top view with photoelectric module.

    Video:

    Later if i have time i will take pictures of the Stark first gen.

  • Stark at OBC Auxerre

    Xylitol10/01/2016 at 07:14 0 comments

    And so we bring the coil gun to the second edition of OBC Auxerre (Open Bidouille Camp) to show it to people and explain the theory behind.

    That was a huge success with more of 750 visitors to the event.

  • Chronograph test

    Xylitol09/15/2016 at 18:52 0 comments

    It was time to measure the velocity of projectiles.

  • Burn Babylon Burn!

    Xylitol07/16/2016 at 21:25 0 comments

    Waiting new components from our Chinese friends due to a fail (comutator have burn inside causing him to be stuck in closed mode and damaged really bad the board.

    On second transistor plastic near the screw also melted away due to big current.

    Waiting for new components and working on a board fix, probably stuck for a month time to produce also a new batch of board...
    Edit: DHL was faster than excepted, received everything and the new switch do an awesome *click* sound.

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kasdrfase wrote 04/20/2022 at 11:13 point

This is extra ordinary you can click on the link CCI Ammunition Blazer Aluminum .45 Colt and buy these ammos a=online from the store.

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Kirschner Christoph wrote 03/30/2017 at 20:16 point

This is a incredible nice piece of technology !! Well done ! 

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hoke wrote 03/30/2017 at 16:22 point

Looks like a royal kick for sure :)))

Great work ! ! !

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