A Computational Study of the Effectiveness of Coating Materials for KE Projectile Fins Subjected to the Combined Effects of Inbore and Aerodynamic Heating
Abstract
The objective of this computational study was to examine the inbore and free flight aerodynamic heating of aluminum fins used on large l/d kinetic energy (KE) projectiles. The scope of the study involved the performance of numerical computations to examine the effectiveness of two coating materials for thermal protection of the aluminum fins. A comparison of the predicted unsteady thermal response to the combined effects of inbore and free flight aerodynamic heating was made between a fin coated with the current aluminum oxide coating and a fin coated with a new silicon/fiber mixture. The silicon/fiber coating was found to provide substantially improved thermal protection compared to the standard aluminum oxide coating. A fin coated with the silicon/fiber material was predicted to not reach melt temperature throughout a simulated 3.0 second flight. In comparison, a fin coated with aluminum oxide was predicted to reach melt temperature after less than 1.0 second of flight. Keywords: Kinetic energy projectiles; Refractory coatings; Projectile fins; Three dimensional computerized simulation; Thermal response; Unsteady heat conduction; Supersonic flow; Convective heat transfer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA222595
Entities
People
- Earl N. Ferry Jr.
- Frank D. Sturek
- Walter B. Sturek
Organizations
- Ballistic Research Laboratory