Analysis of Excalibur/M284 Muzzle Brake Interference Issues
Abstract
In late 2007, two problems concerning the 155mm Excalibur round being fired through the M284 muzzle brake were presented to Ben?t Laboratories. The first of these problems was a base failure during lot testing in which the threads connecting the base to the rest of the projectile failed. This only occurred once. The second of these problems was that the obturating band of the Excalibur round contacts the M284 muzzle brake on reportedly every shot. Ben?t?s goal was to determine the effect these issues would have on the integrity and service life of the muzzle brake and other gun components. Through the use of finite element modeling and a fatigue and fracture analysis, it was determined that the obturating band contact is not strong enough to cause the brake to be damaged or experience a noticeably shorter life. The likelihood of the thread failure causing the base to become completely removed in the brake region was determined by the customer to be negligible, even if the thread failure occurred in bore. These results assume that the problem was accurately described to Ben?t and that no adverse conditions occur beyond what was described.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA590014
Entities
People
- Andrew G. Littlefield
- Joshua B. Root
Organizations
- United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center