Light Gas Gun

[AlphaOmega]

Was just letting everyone know if they are interested and can catch the re-run of the new July 7 "Through the wormhole with Morgan Freeman" on the Science channel they have a nice chunk of the show dedicated to a light gas gun and show it in operation as with how it operates. It also showed some before and after of projectiles that were fired. They stated its purpose was to test the effects of comets impacting earth. Anyway it was pretty cool so if you can get the science channel check it out.


-Alpha

[Zeus]

I'm in the design phase for an LGG at the moment. I don't have pay TV,
so I'll miss that.

[theBOOM]

What time is it playing?

[D_Hall]

I'm in the design phase for an LGG at the moment.

I'll bite... Why in the world would you want to build one? They are royal PITAs! I suppose if you just want to do it as a personal quest, fine, but I'm here to tell you that they're so labor intensive that any joy in firing them goes away VERY quickly. And when I say that, keep in mind that I'm the guy who doesn't understand why everybody is so upset that loading Vera will take on the order of an hour.

[inonickname]

Well that depends to what extent you're taking it. If your simply using a pneumatic launched plastic piston reloading times wouldn't be absurd. However, if your using large steel ones loaded with solid fuels, precision burst disks, hydrogen etc.. Be prepared for a major task.

[Technician1002]

I have plans drawn up to use a 4 inch QDV to launch a piston in a secondary cylinder to compression heat the air in it to create the light gas. The final projectile will be in a smaller diameter barrel. The cannon won't be a PITa to use. It won't use burst disks. It would be an air driven springer on steroids. I'm still playing with the dynamics for a supersonic golf ball shot using just low pressure compressed air <200PSI. The golf ball may see a pressure of over 800PSI on the shot.

[D_Hall]

I have plans drawn up to use a 4 inch QDV to launch a piston in a secondary cylinder to compression heat the air in it to create the light gas.

I would (and am) immediately argue that simpy heating the air does not a light gas gun make. If your working fluid is not hydrogen, helium, or another LIGHT gas, it's not a LIGHT gas gun.

The final projectile will be in a smaller diameter barrel. The cannon won't be a PITa to use. It won't use burst disks. It would be an air driven springer on steroids. I'm still playing with the dynamics for a supersonic golf ball shot using just low pressure compressed air <200PSI. The golf ball may see a pressure of over 800PSI on the shot.

OK, fair enough. But again, this is not a light gas gun and it's performance is low enough that I'm not sure I understand the point (but concede that since this is a hobby, there doesn't HAVE to be a point).