Research Status and Key Technologies of Electromagnetic Catapult Technology for Shipboards

Background: Electromagnetic (EM) catapult technology has gained wide attention nowadays because of its significant advantages such as high launch kinetic energy, high system efficiency, high launch frequency, fast activation time, strong sustained launch capability, and load adjust ability. Objective: By analyzing the current research status and key technology classification of electromagnetic catapult technology in shipboard aircraft, thinking about the future development direction of electromagnetic catapult technology in shipboard aircraft, and proposing the feasibility of the future development, this paper provides a reference for the readers. Methods: Through a large number of journals and patent research, system expounds the classification of electromagnetic catapult technology and development process, introduces the working principle of all kinds of electromagnetic catapult technology, summarizes the research status of electromagnetic catapult technology, analyzes the key technology of energy storage, electric energy transformation and control maintenance, and looked forward to its future development direction. Results: Through the research and analysis of different electromagnetic catapult technologies, all of them have their shortcomings and need to be improved. Although the electromagnetic catapult technology at the present stage has been put into use in shipboard aircraft, it still has many problems such as insufficient launch quality, no major technical breakthroughs have been made in the energy storage devices and high maintenance cost. Conclusion: Based on analyzing and comparing the current situation and key technologies of electromagnetic catapult technology for shipboard aircraft, the future development trend of electromagnetic catapult technology for shipboard aircraft is predicted, as one of the main research directions in the future, the suspended contactless emission technology has obvious technical advantages and good practical prospects.