Sensitivity of SFF (Self-Forging Fragment) Computer Simulations to Variations in the JWL (Jones-Wilkins-Lee) Equation of State

Abstract

During the course of a confrontation, Canadian Forces military engineers employ explosives and shaped charges to destroy bridges and other structures in a counter-mobility role. Currently, these charges must be physically attached to the structure being demolished, often a difficult and time-consuming task. As an alternative, the self-forging fragment (SFF) type of projectile, used for example in off-route anti-tank mines, is under study at DRES to see if it could provide military engineers with a long-standoff rapid demolition capability. The development of a long-standoff SFF wall-breaching device is also being pursued. In studying the application of self-forging fragment technology to the demolition role, a reduction in the size and cost of an experiment field program is afforded by the use of finite element computer codes which can predict both fragment formation and target impact. An important factor in obtaining a reasonable prediction of fragment formation is the use of an accurate pressure-volume relationship for the explosive's detonation products. This relationship is given by the Jones-Wilkins-Lee (JWL) equation of state. For many explosives, the coefficients of the JWL equation have been tabulated in the literature. However, for some explosives of interest for potential use in SFF devices, the JWL coefficients have not been published. In such cases, estimates must be made based on explosives of similar properties. It is of considerable interest to know what effect inaccurate estimates would have on predicted fragment characteristics. Keywords: Canada.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1985
Accession Number
ADA217544

Entities

People

  • K. R. Torrance

Organizations

  • Defence Research and Development Canada

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Anti-Tank Mines
  • Bodies
  • Computer Simulations
  • Countermobility
  • Engineers
  • Explosive Charges
  • Explosives
  • High Explosives
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Mach Number
  • Materials
  • Munitions
  • Sensitivity
  • Shaped Charges
  • Simulations
  • Standards

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • ballistics.