Investigadores de China afirman haber desarrollado un nuevo y poderoso Sistema Electromagnético de Lanzamiento de Aeronaves (EMALS) para su empleo en portaaviones. Este sistema de catapulta electromagnética es capaz de acelerar un avión de 30tn, de 0 a 70m/s en solo 2.1 seg, El nuevo sistema es mucho más eficiente que los tradicionales en servicio, su infraestructura es más simple, requiere menos mantenimiento y su tiempo de recuperación para la realización de sucesivos lanzamientos es inferior. Si bien EEUU es pionero en el desarrollo de EMALS y los tiene en servicio desde hace años, el rendimiento de los mismos no ha sido satisfactorio. El desarrollo presentado por el “School of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at Beijing University of Technology” afirma haber superado los problemas de sus antecesores.
Chinese researchers have allegedly developed a new, powerful Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) using technology found in electric vehicles.
The catapult can launch a 30-tonne projectile from 0 to 230 feet/s (0 to 70 m/s) in around 2.1 seconds.
Developed by a team of scientists and engineers in Beijing, the new system could slash the cost of aircraft carrier EMALS catapults.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that it can handle roughly twice the weight of China’s most advanced stealth aircraft, the J-20.
“The new catapult system has a small footprint, simple structure, and is lightweight and does not require a complex power supply system,” explained the researchers. The team, led by Ye Lezhi, is an associate professor with the School of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at Beijing University of Technology.
The new EMALS system was unveiled on February 27 in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese academic journal Acta Armamentarii.
Better, more powerful EMALS
Existing EMALS accelerate an aircraft using a long, straight track. Many electromagnetic coils are laid around the track to generate thrust for continuous acceleration as the plane passes.
The United States has equipped its state-of-the-art Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier with four electromagnetic catapults, making it a pioneer in this technology.
“However, since its commissioning, the supercarrier’s electromagnetic catapult system has been experiencing various serious issues, including poor reliability, low efficiency, and even prolonged malfunctions,” Ye’s team wrote in the paper.
According to data released by the U.S. Department of Defence last year, the catapult system experiences a major maintenance issue after every 614 take-offs. That is much less than the U.S. Navy’s benchmark of 4,000 take-offs.
According to the scientists working on the project, the new technology has the potential to free up valuable deck space on carriers. It could also allow other warships to launch long-range air strikes.
If it “takes off,” this technology could give the Chinese Navy a significant advantage. The key is China’s growing EV technology market.
Based on electrical vehicle tech
Electric cars employ torque motors for faster acceleration and convert braking energy into stored electricity. The device designed by Ye’s team follows a similar working principle.
A powerful motor drives a heavy flywheel to rotate quickly before catapulting. Once the plane is secured on the catapult shuttle, the flywheel passes kinetic energy to a winding wheel.
The winding wheel pulls the shuttle through a steel cable, applying force to the aircraft’s landing gear and accelerating the plane to take-off speed. The flywheel and winding wheel do not make direct contact with each other.
Instead, an eddy current clutch generates electromagnetic force to connect them. To stop a plane, the flywheel’s spin is reversed without needing additional gear.
According to their paper, Ye’s team has successfully constructed a prototype of a catapult that has been tested and proven feasible. The scientists claim that this new catapult can launch large fixed-wing planes into the sky with just 328 feet (100 meters) of runway. The team claims this would make it a viable option for many Chinese warships’ decks.
