Sounding experiments of high pressure gas discharge
- Wehrtechnische Dienststelle fuer Waffen und Munition, Box 17 64, 49707 Meppen (Germany)
A high pressure discharge experiment (200 MPa, 5{center_dot}10{sup 21} molecules/cm{sup 3}, 3000 K) has been set up to study electrically induced shock waves. The apparatus consists of the combustion chamber (4.2 cm{sup 3}) to produce high pressure gas by burning solid propellant grains to fill the electrical pump chamber (2.5 cm{sup 3}) containing an insulated coaxial electrode. Electrical pump energy up to 7.8 kJ at 10 kV, which is roughly three times of the gas energy in the pump chamber, was delivered by a capacitor bank. From the current-voltage relationship the discharge develops at rapidly decreasing voltage. Pressure at the combustion chamber indicating significant underpressure as well as overpressure peaks is followed by an increase of static pressure level. These data are not yet completely understood. However, Lorentz forces are believed to generate pinching with subsequent pinch heating, resulting in fast pressure variations to be propagated as rarefaction and shock waves, respectively. Utilizing pure axisymmetric electrode initiation rather than often used exploding wire technology in the pump chamber, repeatable experiments were achieved.
- OSTI ID:
- 21185681
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 429, Issue 1; Conference: 10. American Physical Society topical conference on shock compression of condensed matter, Amherst, MA (United States), 27 Jul - 1 Aug 1997; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.55608; (c) 1998 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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