Scaling Studies of Thermal Radiation Flux From Burning Propellants
Abstract
The radiant thermal flux from various masses and configurations of burning bulk gun propellants was measured at distances of 2.4 to 20 meters from the source. The propellants used consisted of small-arms propellants and large- caliber artillery propellants. The masses burned ranged from 45.4 kg. to 400 kg; the configurations included open-top fiber drums of various diameters and the original shipping containers (closed). Both internal ignition and exposure to external bonfire were included. In the burns in the open-top drums with top ignition it was confirmed that the propagation rate through the bulk material controls the overall burning rate. Additionally this rate is essentially independent of the mass, so that the burning rate is virtually proportional to the area of the burning surface, thus validating (for masses of similar shape) the two-thirds-power-of- mass law. The data also indicate that the thermal flux can be estimated from the burning time. The inverse-square-of- distance law is found to be substantially in error at close distances. This is associated with the fact that the flame is a column rather than a "fireball". Immediate propagation of burning between containers was not observed; some forms of packaging were found to give significantly greater delay-to-ignition in an external fire than others. Approximately 20 percent of the thermochemical energy appeared as radiant heat.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA527525
Entities
People
- J. E. Hay
- R. W. Watson