Abstract
Shock compression and impact studies could benefit from the ability to increase impact velocities that can be achieved with gun systems. Single-stage guns have modest performance (0.2-2 km/s) that limits their utility for high-pressure and high-velocity studies, while more capable systems are expensive and complex. We are developing a technique that uses a low-strength sabot with a tapered die to increase the impact velocity without modifying the gun itself. Impact of the projectile with the die generates a converging shock wave in the sabot that acts to accelerate the front of the projectile, while decelerating the rear portion. Preliminary experiments using this technique have observed a velocity enhancement of up to a factor of two.
Highlights
The theoretical performance of a gun is dependent on the amount of potential energy that can be stored in the compressed working fluid of the gun and the efficiency with which that stored energy can be converted to kinetic energy of the projectile
In order to test the velocity enhancement and to collect data to aid model development, we conducted a series of tests using the 0.5-inch-bore IMPULSE gun located at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory [1,2]. For these tests, the forward portion of the sabot was made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), with an aluminum or polycarbonate rear portion, and the die was made of steel
There was no sample in the target plates and the projectile front surface was observed by photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) [3]
Summary
The theoretical performance of a gun is dependent on the amount of potential energy that can be stored in the compressed working fluid of the gun and the efficiency with which that stored energy can be converted to kinetic energy of the projectile. Impact of the projectile into the tapered portion of the die (figure 1) generates a conically converging shock wave, creating a time-dependent stress field in the sabot. In order to test the velocity enhancement and to collect data to aid model development, we conducted a series of tests using the 0.5-inch-bore IMPULSE gun located at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory [1,2] For these tests (figure 2), the forward portion of the sabot was made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), with an aluminum or polycarbonate rear portion, and the die was made of steel. The die had a conical taper with a 7.5° half-angle and the sabot carried a 1 mm thick aluminum flier plate. The die was mounted on a standard bolster plate attached to the gun muzzle and was backed by the target
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