PLAN Catapult Development Thread, News, etc.

[by78]

Please help translate this. It has something to do with a superconducting electromagnetic catapult by a company out of Human province. It apparently has made tremendous progress, and the technology has been applied to other fields as well, including space launch. This is the first I have heard of it. How legitimate is this information, I wonder, and is this a separate effort from the system by Dr. Ma Weiming?

Below are old images from a past exhibit that might or might not have anything to do with the above information.

 

[Untoldpain]

Please help translate this. It has something to do with a superconducting electromagnetic catapult by a company out of Human province. It apparently has made tremendous progress, and the technology has been applied to other fields as well, including space launch. This is the first I have heard of it. How legitimate is this information, I wonder, and is this a separate effort from the system by Dr. Ma Weiming?

Below are old images from a past exhibit that might or might not have anything to do with the above information.

From my limited Chinese language skills here are the highlighted key points:

1. Development of the Electromagnetic Catapult System spanned 13 years. Similar system development in U.S spanned more than 25 years.
2. The system has entered serial production.
3. The project received directive from the highest echelon of government, including current and previous president.
4. The electromagnetic catapult won against steam catapult system in competition back in 2016.
5. Same group was involved in developing underwater electromagnetic launch system, XX long range (Munition?) electromagnetic launch system and direct current electromotive systems.

 

[by78]

From my limited Chinese language skills here are the highlighted key points:

1. Development of the Electromagnetic Catapult System spanned 13 years. Similar system development in U.S spanned more than 25 years.
2. The system has entered serial production.
3. The project received directive from the highest echelon of government, including current and previous president.
4. The electromagnetic catapult won against steam catapult system in competition back in 2016.
5. Same group was involved in developing underwater electromagnetic launch system, XX long range (Munition?) electromagnetic launch system and direct current electromotive systems.

Thank you!

 

[by78]

Two Chinese patent documents (in PDF) having to do with electromagnetic catapults. Unfortunately, translating these are beyond my meager abilities, but I will share them here for the record and for our Chinese speakers.

1)

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Abstract
The utility model relates to a guiderail for guiding mechanical components to relatively move, in particular relates to a switchable permanent maglev guiderail structure. The switchable permanent maglev guiderail structure comprises a static rail and a movable rail which can relatively move, and the static rail and the movable rail are respectively provided with paired magnetic boxes which acts on each other; each pair of magnetic boxes are provided with magnetic field action surfaces which are arranged oppositely, magnetic force lines at positions where the two opposite magnetic field action surfaces are located have same extending directions, the mutual action force of the pair of magnetic boxes are repulsive force. The guiderail provides suspension and restrain power for the maglev guiderail by utilizing the permanent magnetic field, and compared with the traditional electromagnetic equipment, the equipment cost can be greatly lowered; and in addition, the action magnetic fields can be switched on or off as required, thus facilitating the installation and maintenance of equipment.

2)

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Abstract
The utility model discloses a mechanical electromagnetic launch device which comprises a drive motor, a set of transmission gears, a set of bevel gears, a set of flywheel magnets, a sliding block with an induction coil and a dragging shuttle. The drive motor drives the flywheel magnets to rotate through a rotating shaft, the transmission gears, the other rotating shaft and the bevel gears. Each pair of flywheel magnets is arranged in the mode that the magnetic polarity directions are the same, the flywheel magnets are sequentially arranged in a straight line, and a space for the sliding block to move linearly is formed between each pair of flywheel magnets. The sliding block comprises the induction coil with the magnetic polarity perpendicular to the magnetic polarity direction of the flywheel magnets. The dragging shuttle extending out of clamping plates is mounted on the sliding block. The rotation speeds of the set of bevel gears are sequentially increased in the taking-off direction. The mechanical electromagnetic launch device can solve the technical problems that a traditional device is complex in structure and low in efficiency, and can not effectively store and immediately release powerful electric energy to provide powerful driving force.

 

[asif iqbal]

honestly I will be shocked of 003 has EMALS

it also means batch 3 of J15 will be catapult

 

[taxiya]

Please help translate this. It has something to do with a superconducting electromagnetic catapult by a company out of Human province. It apparently has made tremendous progress, and the technology has been applied to other fields as well, including space launch. This is the first I have heard of it. How legitimate is this information, I wonder, and is this a separate effort from the system by Dr. Ma Weiming?

Below are old images from a past exhibit that might or might not have anything to do with the above information.

The company is making the linear motor for the catapult, a sub-contractor of Dr. Ma's program. It is also involved in other programs of Dr. Ma. such as underwater EM launcher that we have seen the testing apparatus. The "long range launcher" could be the rail gun we have seen.

The paper did not mention anything about super-coductor.

I think the attached photos are products from another company from Shanghai "Shanghai Superconductor" unrelated to the article. See another photo from the same exhibition.

 

[taxiya]

Two Chinese patent documents (in PDF) having to do with electromagnetic catapults. Unfortunately, translating these are beyond my meager abilities, but I will share them here for the record and for our Chinese speakers.

1)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Abstract
The utility model relates to a guiderail for guiding mechanical components to relatively move, in particular relates to a switchable permanent maglev guiderail structure. The switchable permanent maglev guiderail structure comprises a static rail and a movable rail which can relatively move, and the static rail and the movable rail are respectively provided with paired magnetic boxes which acts on each other; each pair of magnetic boxes are provided with magnetic field action surfaces which are arranged oppositely, magnetic force lines at positions where the two opposite magnetic field action surfaces are located have same extending directions, the mutual action force of the pair of magnetic boxes are repulsive force. The guiderail provides suspension and restrain power for the maglev guiderail by utilizing the permanent magnetic field, and compared with the traditional electromagnetic equipment, the equipment cost can be greatly lowered; and in addition, the action magnetic fields can be switched on or off as required, thus facilitating the installation and maintenance of equipment.

2)

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Abstract
The utility model discloses a mechanical electromagnetic launch device which comprises a drive motor, a set of transmission gears, a set of bevel gears, a set of flywheel magnets, a sliding block with an induction coil and a dragging shuttle. The drive motor drives the flywheel magnets to rotate through a rotating shaft, the transmission gears, the other rotating shaft and the bevel gears. Each pair of flywheel magnets is arranged in the mode that the magnetic polarity directions are the same, the flywheel magnets are sequentially arranged in a straight line, and a space for the sliding block to move linearly is formed between each pair of flywheel magnets. The sliding block comprises the induction coil with the magnetic polarity perpendicular to the magnetic polarity direction of the flywheel magnets. The dragging shuttle extending out of clamping plates is mounted on the sliding block. The rotation speeds of the set of bevel gears are sequentially increased in the taking-off direction. The mechanical electromagnetic launch device can solve the technical problems that a traditional device is complex in structure and low in efficiency, and can not effectively store and immediately release powerful electric energy to provide powerful driving force.

I would not put much attention to these two patents.

The first patent is nothing innovative than children have been playing all the time with permanent magnet. Without putting together the drive system, it means nothing. Actually, I don't see how it would work if we put in a linear motor whose polarization constantly changes, but the rail's polarization does not, so the train can not move.

The applicant of the second patent is a person whose address is "Jingmen county traffic police department", meaning just a hobbyist.

We know that patent authority does not judge the merit or quality of the "invention", they register anything so long as it is "unique" and not registered yet. And they take the money happily, a kind of tax revenue.

A story from my college mate was that she has seen patent application of "guillotine ATM" which will chop the hands of the the person who has wrongly typed pass-code 3 times.

 

[Dante80]

honestly I will be shocked of 003 has EMALS

it also means batch 3 of J15 will be catapult

I'll be surprised if 003 doesn't have an EMALS. At least, almost all info and leaks we currently have (and have had during the last years) point to it.

I vaguely remember a specific leak - for example - from one of the people that were working on a steam catapult system for the new carriers, saying that their work was verified, scheduled for integration to the next carrier and then cancelled due to the carrier changing to an EMALS. IIRC, EMALS integration was also one of the main reasons for 003 coming much later into existence than it was originally expected or rumored.

 

[SpicySichuan]

underwater electromagnetic launch system,

Sorry, but why do submarines need electromagnetic launch systems?

 

[Mirabo]

Sorry, but why do submarines need electromagnetic launch systems?

The biggest application I can think of is for munitions.

So instead of using compressed gas to launch torpedoes and cruise/ballistic missiles, you can theoretically use electromagnets instead. Especially for torpedoes, and EMALS would make the launch completely silent.