Effect of Variable Thermal Properties on Gun Tube Heating

Abstract

Repeated gun firings can steadily elevate the barrel temperature. The firing heat input and the resulting barrel temperature rise depend on the thermal properties of the barrel material. In particular, they depend on the thermal conductivity, specific heat, and mass density. Since conductivity and specific heat depend on barrel temperature, gun barrel heating becomes a nonlinear problem. If the temperature range is large, this temperature dependence can have an effect on the predicted barrel temperature change. We shall show how these effects are modeled by use of a finite difference solution to the one-dimensional (Fourier) equation of heat conduction. Our findings indicate that for the limited number of rounds stowed in a tank, the inclusion of temperature-dependent thermal properties does not have a significant effect on the predicted barrel temperature change. gun barrels; finite difference theory; thermal properties; M256 120-mm gun; multiple rounds; tar gun heating.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA253066

Entities

People

  • Mark Bundy
  • Nathan Gerber

Organizations

  • Ballistic Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Climate Change
  • Computer Programs
  • Conductivity
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Finite Difference Theory
  • Gun Barrels
  • Guns
  • Heat Transfer
  • Heat Transfer Coefficients
  • Materials
  • Specific Heat
  • Tank Guns
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Thermal Properties
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • ballistics.