Abstract:
An electromagnetic launcher with a curved or spiral-shaped, open-ended guideway and conductors for launching a projectile. The projectile, movably retained on or within the guideway, is accelerated along the guideway using electromagnetic forces until it reaches an end of the guideway, then the projectile is launched in a desired direction. The direction of the launch of the projectile is determined by orienting the guideway in the desired direction using an actuator.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Certain aspects of the invention described in this non-provisional patent application are related to co-pending non-provisional U.S. application Ser. No. 15/163,924, filed on May 25, 2016, titled “Electromagnetic Launcher with Circular Guideway,” incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Electromagnetic launchers convert electrical energy into mechanical propulsion to launch objects such as missiles, aircrafts, space crafts, and other projectiles. Velocities provided by electromagnetic launchers may exceed the velocities provided by other propulsion methods (chemical, mechanical, pneumatic, etc.). However, traditional electromagnetic propulsion methods have been plagued by a number of safety and reliability issues. Furthermore, current electromagnetic launchers require large amounts of electric power, often requiring large capacitor banks and large electromagnetic pulses that can cause interference with other equipment. Current electromagnetic launchers also take up significant space due to long barrel lengths and large capacitor banks, which hinder potential applications in confined areas. 
         [0003]    This background discussion is intended to provide information related to the present invention which is not necessarily prior art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a distinct advance in the art of electromagnetic launchers. An electromagnetic launcher constructed in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be particularly advantageous in applications that require high speeds and low power consumption and that must fit into a small space and may also aid in the development of linear electromagnetic launchers. An embodiment of the invention is an electromagnetic launcher having a curved, open-ended guideway, such as a helix or spiral-shaped guideway for receiving and accelerating a projectile. The shape and configuration of the guideway allows the projectile to stay within the launcher a longer period of time, having a greater length in a smaller physical footprint than linear guideways, thus achieving higher speeds in a more compact physical space. The projectile accelerates along the guideway by way of an electromagnetic force. Specifically, the launcher includes conductive coils in or around the guideway that may be electrically connected to a power supply to create an electromagnetic field along the guideway. 
         [0005]    In some embodiments of the invention, the electromagnetic launcher may include a helix or spiral-shaped guideway and a stator conductor wound around, within, or embedded in the guideway in a first direction forming one or more stator coils. The electromagnetic launcher may be operable to launch a projectile with a rotor conductor wound around, within, or embedded in the projectile in a second direction forming at least one rotor coil. The first direction may be identical or opposite the second direction. 
         [0006]    The electromagnetic launcher may further include a pair of rails having a positive rail and a negative rail that are positioned along the guideway and two pairs of connectors. The rails may be positioned on a wall of the guideway toward which a centripetal force is primarily directed so that the centripetal force aids in maintaining contact between the connectors and the rails. The two pairs of connectors may include a first pair of connectors and a second pair of connectors. The first pair of connectors may connect a first end of the rotor conductor to the positive rail and a second end of the rotor conductor to the negative rail so that an electromagnetic field is induced due to a current traveling through the rotor conductor. The second pair of connectors may connect a first end of the stator conductor to the positive rail and a second end of the stator conductor to the negative rail, so that the two pairs of connectors activate only ones of the stator coils close to the projectile, so that an electromagnetic field is induced due to a current traveling through the stator conductor. 
         [0007]    This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electromagnetic launcher constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a projectile inside of a guideway of the launcher; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 1  with a top portion of the guideway removed to illustrate stator coils and the projectile therein; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic view of a contact system showing the activated contacts of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic view showing an alternative embodiment of the contact system of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 3A  using a multiplexer (MUX); 
           [0013]      FIG. 3C  is a schematic view of another alternative embodiment of the contact system of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 1 , illustrating ball bearings that may be used as part of the contact system of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a method of launching a projectile in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of an electromagnetic launcher constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a projectile of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an electromagnetic launcher having a spiral configuration according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a top view of an electromagnetic launcher having multiple coil pairs according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a schematic view of alternating polarities of coil pairs of the electromagnetic launcher of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is a schematic view of an electromagnetic launcher, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, having a configuration for use in a tank; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of an electromagnetic launcher having an inner and an outer guideway in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0024]    The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention references the accompanying figures. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those with ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The following description is, therefore, not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0026]    In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are not mutually exclusive unless so stated. Specifically, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, particular implementations of the present invention can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. 
         [0027]    Projectile Inside of Helical Guideway 
         [0028]    Some embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5 , include an electromagnetic launcher  10  and a method of launching a projectile  14  that is particularly advantageous in applications that require high projectile speeds and low power consumption and that must fit into a small space. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the electromagnetic launcher  10  may comprise a guideway  12  for receiving and launching the projectile  14  and stator coils  26  for generation of an electromagnetic field in or around the guideway  12 . The guideway  12  and the stator coils  26  together may form a stator, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and described below. The launcher  10  may further comprise actuators  40 , a power supply  16 , a contact system  30  (as in  FIG. 3A ), and/or a controller  28 . 
         [0029]    The guideway  12  may be a channel, such as a hollow tube, having a closed loop. The guideway  12  may be comprised of a strong, non-conducting material, such as concrete, plastics, carbon fiber, ceramic (material), fiberglass, or other non-magnetic materials, depending on the application. The guideway  12  may include one or more walls configured to partially or completely surround the projectile  14  placed therein. The guideway  12  may be in the shape of a toroid, circle, oval, or other closed-loop shape, such as a figure eight or an infinity-symbol shape. 
         [0030]    The guideway  12  may also include the launch site  18 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , or a plurality of launch sites  18 . The launch sites  18  may be a door that opens on one of the walls of the guideway  12  so that the projectile  14  exits tangent to a curvature of the guideway  12 . For example, the launch site  18  may comprise a portion of the guideway  12  that is jointed to be disconnected from the rest of the guideway  12 . This portion may be configured to be straightened, thus creating a straight path for the projectile  14  to travel and exit out of the guideway  12 . The guideway  12  may also comprise a horizontal hinge on a portion or portions of the interior wall of the guideway  12 , so that the outside wall of the guideway  12  opens, thus serving as the launch site  18 . 
         [0031]    The stator coils  26  generate an electromagnetic field in the guideway and may comprise a series of conductors or conductive material. The conductive material of the stator coils  26  may be any material that is known in the art to be conductive of electrical current including but not limited to metals, metal alloys, carbon reinforced metals, copper, silver, aluminum, superconductors, semiconductors, and the like. The stator coils  26  may include individual coils interconnected in series or single loops connectable to a bus with electrical contacts. The stator coils  26  may be placed on an inside surface of the guideway  12 , placed on an outside surface of the guideway  12 , or embedded within the material of the guideway  12 . The stator coils  26  may be powered by the controller  28  selectively connecting the stator coils  26 , or sections of stator coils  26 , to the power supply  16  or through the contact system  30 , as later described herein. 
         [0032]    The projectile  14  may be any object that is configured to be launched or otherwise projected at high speeds. The projectile  14  may comprise a solid object and rotor coils  38  wrapped around the solid object. The solid object may comprise a solid, non-conducting material of similar type mentioned above for the guideway  12 . The rotor coils  38  may be made of a conductive material wrapped around, wound inside, or embedded within the non-conducting material of the solid object. The conductive material may be of the same kind mentioned above for the stator coils  26 . Together the solid object and the rotor coils  38  of the projectile  14  may form a rotor. The rotor coils  38  may include a single rotor coil, pairs of rotor coils, or any number of rotor coils  38 . In some embodiments of the invention, the solid object and/or the rotor coils  38  of the projectile  14  may have n number of flattened sections for improved electrical contact via the contact system  30 , as later described herien. 
         [0033]    In some embodiments of the invention, the projectile  14  may be at least partially cylindrically shaped with a radius smaller than the radius of the guideway  12  so that the projectile  14  travels within the guideway  12 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The projectile  14  may take numerous forms for different applications including but not limited to a bullet, artillery shell, missile, transportation vehicle, aircraft, spacecraft, or amusement park ride. The projectile  14  may also be a sled that releasably holds an object to be released and launched in a desired direction at a desired speed. The projectile  14  may be coupled to the contact system  30  of the stator or launcher  10  and the rotor or projectile  14 , as described below. 
         [0034]    The actuators  40 , as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 1 , may comprise one or more actuators controlled hydraulically, electrically, or manually. For example, the actuators  40  may comprise electric motors, pumps, circuits, robotic components, mechanical actuation components, hydro-mechanical components, electro-mechanical components, and the like. The actuators  40  may be controlled by the controller  28 , as further described below. One or more of the actuators  40  may be configured for opening components of the launch site  18  and/or otherwise actuating release of the projectile  14 . In some embodiments of the invention, one or more of the actuators  40  may control an orientation of the guideway  12 . Specifically, a direction in which the projectile  14  is launched may be controlled by a three-dimensional orientation of the guideway  12 , adjusted by rotating the guideway  12  about its center, as well as angling the guideway  12  relative to the ground. The adjusting of the orientation of the guideway  12  may be accomplished manually and/or via the one or more actuators  40 . 
         [0035]    The power supply  16  may be of any type including a battery, generator, capacitor bank, alternator, power line, solar panel, wind turbine, or any other source of electric power known in the art. The power supply  16  may provide electricity for use by the contact system  30  and/or the controller  28 , as later described herein. The power supply  16  may be selectively turned on and off, and/or pathways or switches between the power supply  16  and various conductive components of the electromagnetic launcher  10  may be configured to be selectively opened and/or closed to selectively provide power from the power supply  16 . 
         [0036]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the contact system  30  may comprise a pair of rails  32  connected to the power supply  16 , and two sets of contacts  33 , 34 . The contact system  30  may further comprise more than two rails  32 , and include any number of rails  32  required for a given application. Note that although  FIGS. 3A-3C  illustrate the guideway  12  and the projectile  14  as substantially linear to schematically show various configurations for the contacts  33 , 34 , the guideway  12  and/or the projectile  14  would be curved in the spiral and circular guideways  12  described herein. Likewise, the rails  32  may also be curved to match the curvature of the spiral or circular guideways  12  described herein. 
         [0037]    The rails  32  may be made of any conductive material as described above for the stator coils  26 . The pair of rails  32  may broadly be described as a positive voltage rail and a negative voltage rail. The type of electric power that is supplied by these rails can be any form including but not limited to alternating current (AC) power, direct current (DC) power, or pulsed power. The rails  32  may be positioned anywhere on, in, or embedded within the guideway  12 . The rails  32  do not have to be placed side by side, but may be on opposite sides of the guideway  12 . For example, one of the rails  32  may be located within the guideway  12  on an inner wall closest to a radial center of the guideway  12  while another one of the rails  32  may be located within the guideway  12  on an outer wall furthest from the radial center of the guideway  12 . The rails  32  may also be placed at a location on the walls of the guideway  12  at which a centripetal force would be close to or at its maximum when the projectile  14  traverses through the guideway  12 , such as a location along the outer wall within the guideway  12 . The rails  32  may be connected to the power supply  16 , and then provide power to the contacts  33 , 34  which then provide power to the projectile  14  or to projectile rails (not shown). Alternatively, embodiments without rails may include internal energy storage within the projectile  14 . 
         [0038]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the contacts  33 , 34  may comprise one set of contacts  33  for supplying power to the projectile  14  and one set of contacts  34  to supply power to the launcher  10 . The contacts  33 , 34  may be comprised of any number of technologies including but not limited to metal contacts, metal brushes, a track system, interchangeable switches, wheels or bearings, rotating contacts, or any other form of contacts known in the art. The contacts  33 , 34  may be attached to and ride along with a rotor housing  35  substantially surrounding the projectile  14  and extending a distance fore or aft of the rotor coils  38 , such that the contacts  33 , 34  retain a fixed distance from each other. The location of the contacts  33 , 34 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3A , form two magnets having identical or opposite polarity. One of the magnets is formed by the contacts  33 , 34  at either end of the rotor coils  38  (electrically coupling one of the rails  32  to the rotor coils  38  and then to the stator coils  26 ) and another of the magnets is formed by a portion of the stator coil  26  between a contact  34  at the end of the rotor coils  38  and contacts  33 , 34  at the end of the rotor housing  35  (electrically coupling the stator coils  26  with one of the rails  32 ). The bearings may be ball bearings  42 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , or cylindrical bearings. Cylindrical bearings may provide a larger area of contact, particularly against flat surfaces of the rotor coils  38  and/or the stator coils  26 . For example, the rotor or projectile  14  may have n number of flattened sections positioned to interface with cylindrical bearings that roll across the flattened sections on each turn of the stator or launcher  10 , thereby creating a line of contact, instead of a single point of contact when using ball bearings. In some embodiments of the invention, two sets of bearings may be placed on each end, to always retain contact with the stator coil  26 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3B , the contacts  34  may be a multiplexor (MUX) that selectively activates the coils via the controller  28 . The contacts  34  may also be activated by the controller  28  but receive power through the power supply instead of the rails  32 . In some embodiments of the invention, the rails  32  may be omitted and the projectile  14  is internally power (i.e., a battery, generator, or other power supply) or the projectile  14  itself is a permanent magnet. 
         [0039]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3C , in some embodiments of the invention the projectile  14  may be physically coupled to each of the contacts  33 , 34  so that both sets of contacts move along with the projectile  14 . That is, as the projectile  14  travels along the guideway  12 , one pair of the contacts  33  maintains a connection between the rotor coils  38  and the rails  32  and another pair of the contacts  34  maintains a connection between a segment of the stator coils  26  and the rails  32 . The contacts  34  may also have a spring or hydraulic system attached to them so that as the projectile  14  travels along the guideway  12 , the springs or hydraulic system absorb any physical shock experienced by the projectile  14 , preventing electrical disconnect. The contacts  33 , 34  may further be of the metal ball or cylindrical bearings type so that power can flow from the rails  32 , which would act as a track, through the ball or cylindrical bearings and to the stator coils  26  or to the rotor coils  38  of the projectile  14 . The configuration of the contacts  32 , 34  may depend on a direction of the windings of the stator coils  26  and the rotor coils  38 . For example, if the windings of the stator coils  26  and the rotor coils  38  are wound in opposite directions, then the contact  34  that connects the launcher  10  (e.g., stator) to the positive rail  32  (positive stator contact) may be located on the same side of the projectile  14  (e.g., rotor) as the contact  33  that connects the projectile  14  to the positive rail  32  (positive rotor contact), and the contacts  33 , 34  that connect the launcher  10  and projectile  14  to the negative rail  32  (negative stator and rotor contacts) may be located on the opposite side of the projectile  14  as the positive stator and rotor contacts  33 , 34 . This configuration controls the polarity of the electromagnetic field of the projectile  14  and the polarity of the electromagnetic field of the launcher  10 . To propel the projectile  14 , the polarity of the electromagnetic field of the guideway  10  may be the opposite of the polarity of the electromagnetic field of the projectile  14 . To hinder movement of the projectile  14 , the polarity of the electromagnetic fields may be the same. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3A  where the contacts  34  that are shown are the contacts  34  that are activated by the controller  28 . This configuration allows the contacts  34  to activate a section of the stator coil  26  in front of the projectile  14  creating an electromagnetic field in a certain direction, while the rotor coils  38  are activated creating an electromagnetic field in substantially the same direction. Thus, the electromagnetic field of the stator coil  26  attracts the electromagnetic field of the rotor coils  38 , thereby accelerating the projectile  14  along the guideway  10 . Desired polarities of the electromagnetic fields may depend on specific applications and uses of the electromagnetic launcher  10 , and configurations of the contacts  33 , 34  may be used to determine the polarities of the electromagnetic fields. 
         [0040]    Alternatively, in place of the contact system  30 , the launcher  10  and/or the projectile  14  may comprise magnets, electromagnets, supermagnets, MAGLEV, or other forms of magnetic levitation known in the art in order to levitate the projectile  14  within or around the guideway  12 . The projectile  14  may have an internal battery that is connected to the rotor coils  38 , supplying power to the rotor coils  38 . 
         [0041]    The controller  28  may be used to control and/or power various components of the launcher  10 . Specifically, the controller  28  may control configurations of the contacts  33 , 34 , the internal battery or other components of the projectile  14 , the actuators  40 , the selective activation of the stator coils  26 , when and/or how much power the power supply  16  provides to the rails  32  and/or coils  26 , 38 , etc. The controller  28  may comprise any number or combination of controllers, sensors, circuits, integrated circuits, programmable logic devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLC) or motion programmable logic controllers (MPLC), computers, processors, microcontrollers, transmitters, receivers, other electrical and computing devices, and/or residential or external memory for storing data and other information accessed and/or generated by the electromagnetic launcher  10 . The controller  28  may control and/or sense operational sequences, power, speed, motion, or movement of the actuators  40 . Specifically, controller  28  may additionally include and/or be communicably coupled with one or more sensors (not shown). For example, the sensors may send signals indicative of projectile speed to the controller  28 . 
         [0042]    The controller  28  may be configured to implement any combination of algorithms, subroutines, computer programs, or code corresponding to method steps and functions described herein. The controller  28  and computer programs described herein are merely examples of computer equipment and programs that may be used to implement the present invention and may be replaced with or supplemented with other controllers and computer programs without departing from the scope of the present invention. While certain features are described as residing in the controller  28 , the invention is not so limited, and those features may be implemented elsewhere. For example, external databases may be accessed by the controller  28  for retrieving GPS or speed data of the projectile  14  or other operational data without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0043]    The controller  28  may implement the computer programs and/or code segments to perform various method steps described herein. The computer programs may comprise an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions in the controller  28 . The computer programs can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, and execute the instructions. In the context of this application, a “computer-readable medium” can be any physical medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer-readable medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electro-magnetic, infrared, or semi-conductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific, although not inclusive, examples of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable, programmable, read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a portable compact disk read-only memory (CDROM), an optical fiber, multi-media card (MMC), reduced-size multi-media card (RS MMC), secure digital (SD) cards such as microSD or miniSD, and a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. 
         [0044]    The residential or external memory may be integral with the controller  28 , stand alone memory, or a combination of both. The memory may include, for example, removable and non removable memory elements such as RAM, ROM, flash, magnetic, optical, USB memory devices, MMC cards, RS MMC cards, SD cards such as microSD or miniSD, SIM cards, and/or other memory elements. 
         [0045]    In some embodiments of the invention, the controller  28  may further include and/or be coupled to various switching devices. For example, switches may be physically located on each turn of the stator coil  26  and could supply power to any length or region of the stator coil  26  using a computer or the controller  28  to control switching. The switches could also be in an external multiplexor consisting of silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs), connected to each turn of the stator coil  26 . Sensing systems may be configured to keep track of the projectile  14  traveling along/or in the launcher  10 , such as optical sensors, or GPS, while the controller  28  controls the timing of the switching, to supply power to the stator coil  26 . Once the required switches are closed, the powered section of the stator coil  26  may accelerate, decelerate, maintain the speed, or reverse direction of the projectile  14 . A minimum of two switches may be closed on each end of the section the stator coil  26  desired to be energized. If multiple switches are used on each end, only one switch would open on each end at a time. This would allow constant current to flow through the stator coil  26 , and help prevent arcing losses, and large switching losses. 
         [0046]    In use, the controller  28  may activate the power supply  16 , which may supply power to the rails  32 . For example, DC power may be supplied to the rails  32 . The controller  28  then may activate the contacts  33 , 34 , causing them to electrically connect the stator coils  26  and the rotor coils  38  to the rails  32 . As current travels through the stator coils  26  and rotor coils  38 , two electromagnetic fields may be created that interact, causing the projectile  14  to accelerate along the guideway  12 . The projectile  14  may continue to accelerate until a desired speed is achieved and/or sensed by the controller  28  (e.g., sensors may send signals indicative of projectile speed to the controller  28 ). Once the desired speed is sensed, the controller  28  may then command one of the actuators  40  that orients the guideway  12  to orient the guideway  12  in a desired position for releasing the projectile  14  in a desired direction. Then the controller  28  may command the desired launch site  18  to open, via one of the actuators  40 , so that the projectile  14  exits the guideway  12 , tangent to the guideway  12 , in the desired direction. 
         [0047]    The flow chart of  FIG. 5  depicts the steps of an exemplary method  1000  for electromagnetically launching the projectile  14  using the guideway  12  to allow for maximum acceleration of the projectile  14  and minimal space consumption. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the various blocks may occur out of the order depicted in  FIG. 5 . For example, two blocks shown in succession in  FIG. 5  may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order depending upon the functionality involved. Some or all of the steps described below and illustrated in  FIG. 5  may also represent executable code segments stored on the computer-readable medium described above and/or executable by the controller  28 . 
         [0048]    The method  500  may comprise a step of loading the projectile  14  into the guideway  12 , as depicted in block  502 . The loading may be done through the launch site  18  or through another entrance/aperture of the guideway  12 . The loading may be accomplished through the use of actuators  40 , such as the actuators  40  described above, and/or may be performed manually via a user of the launcher  10 . Next, the method  500  may include a step of orienting the guideway  12  so that the projectile  14  will launch out of the launch site  18  in a desired direction, as depicted in block  504 . The orienting of the guideway  12  may be accomplished using actuators  40 , such as the actuators  40  described above, and/or may be performed manually via a user. For example, the actuators  40  may rotate the guideway  12  in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, tilt the guideway  12  in any direction, move the guideway  12  vertically up, down, or horizontally, and/or allow the guideway  12  to be orientable so that the projectile  14  may be launched in any direction. 
         [0049]    Next, the method  500  may include a step of accelerating the projectile  14 , as depicted in block  506 . This method step may be accomplished by activating the contact system  30 , activating individual contacts  34  of the stator coils  26  connected to a bus, or activating the launcher  10  in other ways that create an electromagnetic field. Specifically, the activation may create an electromagnetic field along the guideway  12  causing an electromagnetic force to act upon the projectile  14 , causing the projectile  14  to accelerate along the guideway. This acceleration of the projectile  14  may be continued until the desired speed is accomplished, or for a desired length of time as commanded via the controller  28 . The controller  28  may use sensors to detect the speed of the projectile  14  and determine whether the projectile  14  is at its desired speed. 
         [0050]    Next, the method  500  may include a step of launching the projectile  14 , as depicted in block  508 . This may include opening the launch site  18  on a wall of the guideway  12  that is tangentially pointed in the desired direction. The opening of the launch site  18  may be accomplished through actuators  40 , as described above, or by any other opening trigger known in the art and dependent on the speed of the projectile  14 . In some embodiments of the invention, the projectile  14  may further comprise an object that is releasably attached to the projectile  14  or to a sled, which—during this step—is released from the projectile  14  so that the object is launched tangent to the guideway  12  in the desired direction. This may make launching a projectile such as a bullet easier, because only a small opening would be needed. 
         [0051]    Additionally or as an alternative to step  508 , the method  500  may include a step of decelerating the projectile  14 , as depicted in block  510 . This may be accomplished through switching polarities of the electromagnetic field of the launcher  10  and/or the projectile  14 . The switching of the polarities may be done through changing the configuration or polarity of the contacts  34 , changing the wiring of the projectile  14  or stator coils  26 , or changing the configuration of the power supply  16 . In some embodiments of the invention, a user may command the controller  28  via a user interface to decelerate the projectile, or the controller  28  may be programmed to decelerate the projectile after a particular trigger such as a certain amount of time passing and/or a certain threshold speed achieved. 
         [0052]    Projectile Outside of Helical Guideway 
         [0053]    In other embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in  FIGS. 6-8 , an electromagnetic launcher  110  may have many of the same features as the electromagnetic launcher  10  described above, including a guideway  112  and stator coils  126  for accelerating a rotor  114 , similar to the guideway  12 , the stator coils  26 , and the projectile  14  described above, respectively. However, the rotor  114  may be configured to accelerate along an outside of the guideway  112 . Specifically, the rotor  114  may comprise a hollow cylinder with a radius larger than the guideway  112  so that the rotor  114  travels along the outside of the guideway  112 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 6-8 . The rotor  114  may include a solid object with rotor coils  138  similar or identical to the solid object and rotor coils  138  described above. In some embodiments of the invention, the rotor coils  138  may be positioned along an inner surface of the rotor  114 , and the stator coils  126  may be positioned along an outer surface of the guideway  112 . A gap  144  formed from one end to another end of the rotor  114  may provide a flexible opening through which the rotor  114  may be flexed to initially be placed around the guideway  112 . However, other methods of loading the rotor  114  onto the guideway  112  may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. Although not shown herein, the electromagnetic launcher  110  may also include contacts, actuators, a power source, and/or a controller similar and/or identical to the contacts  32 , actuators  40 , power source  16 , and/or a controller  28  described above. 
         [0054]    One example use of the electromagnetic launcher  110  is as an actuator for a fan or propeller blade. Specifically, the guideway  112  may be toroidal shaped, with the rotor  114 , or additional rotors (e.g., four rotors), traveling along an outside of the guideway  112 . The rotor  114  or rotors may each have a fan or propeller blade (not shown) attached thereto, either extending within a radius of the guideway  112  and/or extending radially outward from the guideway  112 . In one embodiment of the invention, each of the fan or propeller blades may extend radially inward and meet together at a radial center of the guideway  112 . The fan or propeller blade may be actuated by the movement of the rotor  114 . In this embodiment, the rotors  114  may be propelled by the launcher  110  which in turn may cause the fan or propeller blades to travel in a circular path. Variations of this embodiment may be used in compressors, pumps, fans, high speed propellers, or turbines/compressors of jet engines to rotate or otherwise actuate various components via the rotors  114 . 
         [0055]    Spiral-Shaped Embodiment 
         [0056]    In another example embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , an electromagnetic launcher  210  may be similar to the electromagnetic launcher  10  described above, except that a guideway  212  thereof is spiral-shaped instead of toroidal, with an increasing radius  222 . In some embodiments of the invention, the spiral-shaped guideway  212  may also have a vertical slope as the radius  222  increases, forming a funnel-like shape. In some embodiments of the invention, the spiral-shaped guideway  212  may also have a vertical slope upward with a constant radius  222 , forming a helical helix. The vertical slope may be gradual or extreme and may also be a downward or upward slope. Note that the electromagnetic launcher  210  may have any or all of the components or features described above with respect to the electromagnetic launcher  10 , but with the exceptions described herein. Thus, the electromagnetic launcher  210  may comprise the guideway  212 , a controller, stator coils  226 , contacts, actuators, and a launch site similar or identical to the guideway  12 , the controller  28 , the stator coils  26 , the contacts  34 , the actuators  40 , and the launch site  18 , respectively. In one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the launch site may be located at a point where the radius  222  of the guideway  212  is at its maximum, and consists of a door, opening, port, aperture, or any other openable component. 
         [0057]    As also illustrated in  FIG. 9 , a projectile  214  to be launched by the launcher  210  may also be similar or identical to the projectile  14  described above. In some embodiments of the invention, the projectile  214  may comprise a permanent magnet that levitates within the guideway  212 . The stator coils  226  may include a plurality of single loops, each being individually connectable via their corresponding contacts to a bus connected to a DC power supply. 
         [0058]    In use, the projectile  214  may be loaded through the launch site of the electromagnetic launcher  210  or through an entrance/aperture to the spiral-shaped guideway  212  where the radius  222  is at its minimum. Then, the controller of the electromagnetic launcher  210  may command one of the actuators thereof to orient the guideway  210  in a desired position so that the launch site at the end of the spiral guideway  212  points in a desired direction. The controller may then sense a location of the projectile  214  and activate the stator coils  226  near the projectile  214 , causing the projectile to accelerate inside the guideway  212 . The controller may continue sensing the location of the projectile  214  along the guideway  212  and activating the stator coils  226  near the projectile  214 , causing the projectile  214  to continue accelerating until the projectile  214  exits the guideway  212  at the launch site (e.g., the end of the spiral guideway  212 ) in the desired direction and at a desired speed. 
         [0059]    Multiple Coil Pairs Embodiment 
         [0060]    In another embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 10-11 , an electromagnetic launcher  310  similar to the electromagnetic launcher  10  above may include a guideway  312  and multiple stator coils  326  for launching a projectile  314 , similar to the guideway  12 , stator coils  26 , and projectile  314  described above, respectively. The multiple stator coils  326  may interact with multiple rotor coils  338 , similar to the rotor coils  38  above. In one exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , there may be four sets of stator coils  326  (S 1 , S 2 , S 3 , S 4 ) that interact with three sets of rotor coils  338  (R 1 , R 2 , R 3 ). The stator coils  326  may use a contact system, similar to the contact system  30  above, to power only the stator coils  326  near the projectile  314 , or the stator coils  326  may be selectively activated by a controller similar to the controller  28  above. Alternatively, there may be one stator coil  326  that winds around the guideway  312 , and only sections of the stator coil  326  are activated by the contact system or controller. The rotor coils  338  may be powered using an internal power source (e.g., a battery) or through the contact system. As shown in  FIGS. 10-11 , the stator coils  326  and rotor coils  338  are configured to activate in a way such that the first stator coil S 1  pushes the first rotor coil R 1 ; the second stator coil S 2  pulls the first rotor coil R 1  while also pushing the second rotor coil R 2 ; the third stator coil S 3  pulls the second rotor coil R 2  while pushing the third rotor coil R 3 ; and the fourth stator coil S 4  pulls the third rotor coil R 3 . This is further demonstrated by the alternating polarities of these rotor/stator coil pairs, as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Thus, the force applied to the projectile  314  is enhanced as it travels along the guideway  312 . The guideway  312  may be a toroidal or spiral shaped in this embodiment of the invention. 
       Other Example Uses 
       [0061]    In one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , an electromagnetic launcher  410 , similar to the electromagnetic launcher  10 , may be utilized on a tank (not shown) in which a circular guideway  412  with stator coils  426  is placed, similar to the guideway  12  and the stator coils  26  described above. The electromagnetic launcher  410  may additionally include or be attached to a barrel  460  tangentially attached to the circular guideway  412 , wherein the barrel  460  also has stator coils  426 . At a connection point of the barrel  460  and the circular guideway  412 , there may be an internal door  418  that connects an internal channel of the guideway  412  to an internal channel of the barrel  460 . The tank may be configured to launch a projectile or multiple projectiles at high speeds from the barrel  460  of the tank. The circular guideway  412  may accelerate the projectile or projectiles until a desired speed is achieved, or once the barrel  460  is pointed in a desired direction. The door  418  may then open, allowing the projectile or projectiles to travel through an opening of the door  418  into the barrel  460  tangent to the circular guideway  412 , and out an end of the barrel  460  in the desired direction at the desired speed. Similar configurations may be used for airplanes, submarines, or other vehicle implementations. Likewise, smaller versions could be used for handheld guns or artillery launchers. Furthermore, there could be a number of circular or spiral electromagnetic launchers similar to  410  that are combined to share a single exit or launch site with each other. 
         [0062]    In another example use of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , an electromagnetic launcher  510  is similar to the electromagnetic launcher  10  described above, except that the electromagnetic launcher  510  comprises two guideways: an inner guideway  512  and an outer guideway  513 . The inner guideway  512  may be located within the outer guideway  513 . A projectile  514 , similar to the projectile  14  above, may extend substantially circumferentially around the inner guideway  512  and be positioned within the outer guideway  513 . Thus, the projectile  514  may be configured to travel along the outside of the inner guideway  512 , but along an inside of the outer guideway  513 . 
         [0063]    In use, a power source (not shown) may provide power to a contact system, similar to any of the embodiments described above, such that the contacts thereof provide current to rotor coils  538  on the projectile  514  and stator coils  526  on the guideways  512 , 513 , inducing electromagnetic fields. The use of the two guideways  512 , 513  may greatly increase the electromagnetic propulsion of the projectile  514  caused by their respective electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic launcher  510  as described herein could be used in a variety of applications, such as in handheld and mounted weapons systems. 
         [0064]    In another example use of the invention (not shown), a circular guideway, such as the guideway  12  described above, may be used to accelerate the projectile  14  until the projectile  14  achieves a speed sufficient to burst through a wall of the guideway  12 , causing an explosion. 
         [0065]    Other applications for various embodiments of the invention described above may include but are not limited to: turbo internal vehicle transportation, horizontal-transportation, vertical-transportation such as rollercoasters, and high speed rotary motors for propulsion on aircraft, submarines, and the like. Furthermore, as noted above, the projectiles and rotors described herein may take numerous forms for different applications including but not limited to a bullet, artillery shell, missile, transportation vehicle, aircraft, spacecraft, or amusement park ride. In one example application, one or more of the electromagnetic launcher disclosed herein may be used to launch an object or projectile configured for stopping (collide with and/or catch) incoming missiles, projectiles, or asteroids. 
         [0066]    Although the invention has been described with reference to the one or more embodiments illustrated in the figures, it is understood that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.