Safety Review of the Thermal Transient Test
Abstract
Thermal transient testing (TTT) is a proven method for nondestructively evaluating electro-explosive devices with energetic materials in contact with a bridgewire. A commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) TTT system consisting of a control unit, multimeter, desktop computer, and a pair of test chambers was procured for use in the characterization and evaluation of novel and legacy devices used by the U.S. Army. A thorough risk evaluation was performed on the system and several high-risk deficiencies were identified. The survivability of the test chamber was evaluated through modeling and simulation in arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian three-dimensional (ALE3D) and Abaqus software. These simulations indicated that the chamber was unlikely to survive an M6 blasting cap, which is representative of a large explosive item that would be likely to undergo TTT. The results were confirmed through testing. Several safety improvements were made to the system, including improved electrical isolation through a custom designed in-line safety controller.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 15, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1193261
Entities
People
- Brian Fuchs
- Brian Peltzer
- Gregory Stunzenas
- Stephen Recchia
- Steven Doremus