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Title: Problems associated with launching hypervelocity projectiles from the Fast Shock Tube

Abstract

Modeling and experiments are being done with the goal of understanding the physics of projectile acceleration at high driving pressures (megabar range) and short acceleration times (a few microseconds) well enough to design and test successful hypervelocity launch systems. The Fast Shock Tube, a cylindrically convergent high-explosive driver, has been used to accelerate projectiles. Detailed modeling of the experiments, including high-pressure gas flow, projectile instability, and projectile fracture, has been done with MESA/2D. Modeling results show quantitative agreement with the average behavior of the system. However, details of projectile behavior are not predicted well. Observed velocity distributions across the diameter of a projectile or projectile shapes are only in qualitative agreement with calculations. This, then, presents the major constraint on the successful design of a launch system: that the processes that limit projectile integrity depend on the details of the drive conditions, and these details are not quantitatively modeled at this time.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
10156517
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-92-1529
ON: DE92015276
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: [1992]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 42 ENGINEERING; PROJECTILES; ACCELERATION; SHOCK TUBES; PERFORMANCE; FOAMS; DENSITY; VELOCITY; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; GASES; STABILITY; 450000; 420500; MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; MATERIALS TESTING

Citation Formats

Kerrisk, J F, and Meier, J K. Problems associated with launching hypervelocity projectiles from the Fast Shock Tube. United States: N. p., 1992. Web. doi:10.2172/10156517.
Kerrisk, J F, & Meier, J K. Problems associated with launching hypervelocity projectiles from the Fast Shock Tube. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10156517
Kerrisk, J F, and Meier, J K. 1992. "Problems associated with launching hypervelocity projectiles from the Fast Shock Tube". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10156517. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10156517.
@article{osti_10156517,
title = {Problems associated with launching hypervelocity projectiles from the Fast Shock Tube},
author = {Kerrisk, J F and Meier, J K},
abstractNote = {Modeling and experiments are being done with the goal of understanding the physics of projectile acceleration at high driving pressures (megabar range) and short acceleration times (a few microseconds) well enough to design and test successful hypervelocity launch systems. The Fast Shock Tube, a cylindrically convergent high-explosive driver, has been used to accelerate projectiles. Detailed modeling of the experiments, including high-pressure gas flow, projectile instability, and projectile fracture, has been done with MESA/2D. Modeling results show quantitative agreement with the average behavior of the system. However, details of projectile behavior are not predicted well. Observed velocity distributions across the diameter of a projectile or projectile shapes are only in qualitative agreement with calculations. This, then, presents the major constraint on the successful design of a launch system: that the processes that limit projectile integrity depend on the details of the drive conditions, and these details are not quantitatively modeled at this time.},
doi = {10.2172/10156517},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10156517}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992},
month = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992}
}