Multizone Modular Artillery Propelling Charge Studies.

Abstract

Many of the requirements for the design of a multizone, combustible-cased, modular charge for howitzer applications that will minimize pressure waves at all zone levels without compromising performance are essentially unknown at the present time. An unsuccessful development program for a 155-mm, multizone bagged charge (XM211) highlighted the need for careful selection of the interrelated components that comprise a multizone charge. Multizone, combustible-cased modular artillery propelling charges were fabricated with both granular and stick propellants and were used in this study to investigate the influence of charge interzone permeability, propellant bed permeability, distribution of ullage, and igniter brisance on the two-phase flow, interior ballistic process, in particular, on the formation of pressure waves. Test charges used to study these phenomena were fabricated to resemble the modular charge configurations proposed for future artillery applications. Gun tests with these charges were conducted using M549 Projectiles fired from an M199 Cannon instrumented to measure chamber and differential pressures. Representative data for each series fired in the standard gun are presented in detail. For the situations investigated here, in which a wide range of loading configurations, boundary permeabilities, and ignition stimuli were studied the results demonstrated the superiority of stick propellant over granular propellant for this modular-charge application.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1985
Accession Number
ADA152654

Entities

People

  • C. R. Ruth
  • T. C. Minor

Organizations

  • Ballistic Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Artillery
  • Engineering
  • Gunpowder
  • Howitzers
  • Ignition
  • Ignition Lag
  • Indirect Fire
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Military Research
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Pressure Gradients
  • Projectiles
  • Propellants
  • Propelling Charges
  • Simulators
  • Wave Phenomena

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Rocket Propulsion.
  • ballistics.