Thermal Distortion Due to Wall Thickness Variation and Uneven Cooling in an M256 120-mm Gun Barrel

Abstract

During firing, the gun barrel centerline profile and muzzle pointing angle change due to thermal distortion. There are several causes of thermal distortion; we will discuss two: uneven cooling, and non-uniform wall thickness. We will briefly explain the mechanisms by which these two effects produce gun barrel bending and describe how these effects are modeled. We will demonstrate our model by predicting the muzzle pointing angle change for a particular gun tube firing five rounds, one every two minutes. The predictions are compared with experimental results; some agreement is noted.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADP009077

Entities

People

  • James W. Bradley
  • Mark L. Bundy
  • Nathan Gerber

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Distortion
  • Gas Heating
  • Geometry
  • Gravitational Fields
  • Gun Barrels
  • Guns
  • High Temperature
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Mathematics
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • Modulus Of Elasticity
  • Propellants
  • Thermal Expansion
  • Thickness
  • Universities

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.
  • ballistics.