A mathematical model for estimating the Gurney velocity of chemical high explosives

Abstract

The Gurney velocity is an important performance parameter that characterizes the metal pushing capability of conventional chemical explosives. Herein, this study proposes a mathematical model that aims to provide a simple and effective means by which the Gurney velocity of pure and mixed CHNO-based explosives can be accurately determined using as input information the volumetric heat of detonation, the parameter psi (Ψ) and an adjustable parameter (λ) that accounts for the type of the explosive being studied. The new model proved adequate for evaluating the Gurney velocity of sensitive and insensitive explosives of military interest, including melt-castable and plastic-bonded explosives (PBXs) and showed superior predicting performance compared to benchmark models. It is believed that the Gurney velocity obtained by the new method along with the Gurney-type equations would be very helpful for ordnance engineers for calculating the peak fragment deployment velocity from various warhead geometries, including omnidirectional and directed energy warheads for use in various weapons systems.