Instrumented Projectile Firings in a 155-mm Regenerative Liquid Propellant Gun (RLPG) System
Abstract
The 155-mm regenerative liquid propellant gun (RLPG) system was built by General Electric (GE) specifically for the advanced field artillery system (AFAS) program. During its development and testing, a series of test firings were conducted at the GE, Malta, NY test facility. These test firings revealed that high frequency pressure oscillations that are known to exist in some RLPG, existed during the firing of this gun. In light of this phenomenon, many experimental studies and model simulations of the propellant ignition/combustion processes of the RLPG system were performed. These studies were performed by the Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the Tactical Systems Department of GE, concluding that the main sources of pressure oscillations are inherent in the combustion process of liquid propellants (LP). The New Cannon/Development Compatibility Section of the Ammunition and Security Technology Division at AEDEC was tasked to investigate the effects of these LP pressure oscillations on projectile components and identify and safety concerns due to these oscillations. This investigation included firing seven instrumented projectiles incorporated of the RLPG 2 and one instrumented projectile out of the XM282 52 cal. tube as a comparison solid propellant gun firing. Seven of the eight instrumented projectiles incorporated pressure transducers, which were designed to measure base pressure profiles at the projectile during the interior ballistic cycle. This is the first time that the Army was able to measure base pressure and map the base pressure profile during the interior ballistic cycle. Liquid propellants, Oscillations, Pressure transducers, Accelerometers, RLPG, Instrumented projectile.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADB177784
Entities
People
- R. Lee
Organizations
- United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center