Optical Characterization of Large Caliber Muzzle Blast Waves
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2011
Abstract
High-speed, 1,600 Hz, visible imagery of the blast wave from 147 firings of a 152 mm howitzer were observed for three different propellant charges. Blast wave trajectories were determined at 0.5–13 m from the muzzle exit, yielding initial velocities of Mach 3–4 that decayed to near acoustic within the imager field of view. A piecewise treatment of the Taylor-Sedov point blast model was sufficient to describe the trajectories with an average error of 0.1 m. The trajectories were consistent with a three-dimensional expansion and constant rate of energy release. A Constant Breech Pressure gun model was used to estimate total energy of the muzzle flow, and the efficiency of depositing energy into the blast wave was 18–24 %. Plume temperatures of approximately 980–1,210 K were estimated by partitioning energy and were correlated with likelihood of plume combustion. Classification of charge type based on energy deposition rate was modest, characterized by a ratio of between-class to within-class variance of 1.3, for the very similar events.
Source Publication
Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics (ISSN 0721-3115)
Recommended Citation
Steward, B. J., Gross, K. C., & Perram, G. P. (2011). Optical characterization of large caliber muzzle blast waves. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, 36(6), 564–575. https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.201100037
Comments
Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Co-author B. Steward was completing his AFIT PhD program at the time of this publication. (AFIT-DS-ENP-11-D01, December 2011)