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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Electrochemical response test system using sample-and-hold offset balancing

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5951781· OSTI ID:5951781
The electrothermal response (ETR) test provides a means of evaluating the thermal coupling at the interface between the bridgewire and the explosive in an electroexplosive device (EED). A current pulse applied to the bridgewire increases its temperature and resistance. The resistance change, which is small compared to the initial resistance, is indicative of the condition of the interface. The test system described here separates the voltage due to the thermal heating from the total response (cold resistance and thermal resistance) by using a differential amplifier. The resultant signal represents the thermal response of the bridgewire. In this system the current pulse is synchronized with the sampling of the waveform recorder. The test chassis contains internal calibration and simulation modules. It can be operated manually from front panel controls or remotely through a computer.
Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Ktech Corp., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
5951781
Report Number(s):
SAND85-2424; ON: DE86009560
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English