The Development of a Water Arm-Air Safe (WARAS) Detonator,
Abstract
A Water Arm-Air Safe (WARAS) Detonator has been developed that follows closely the design principles embodied in the Stresau-Slie design. The detonator will pass all the applicable Navy environmental tests except that it will pass only two weeks of mil-Std-331, Test 105, the temperature- humidity cycle. The normal test is four weeks. The WARAS Detonator utilizes a column of nitroguanidine which is below its critical diameter when surrounded by air, but which will propagate reliably when surrounded by water. Arming is accomplished by allowing water to flow into an annular cavity surrounding the column of nitroguanidine. Novel features of this design are (1) the use of a solid aluminum barrier to quench completely and reliably, burning of the explosive column in air and (2) the use of a thin walled metal tube as the carrier for the explosive column. This tube enabled the WARAS Detonator to have all metal parts, and hence to be hermetically sealed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 03, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0911764
Entities
People
- Louis J. Montesi
Organizations
- Naval Ordnance Laboratory