Generation of a mechanical impulse by electrical explosion of a conductor

Abstract

The electrical explosion of conductors is among the small number of methods useful in practice to produce brief (micro- and submicrosecond duration ranges) intensive pressure pulses (1-3). Investigation of the formation and propagation processes for shocks excited by an electrical explosion is of considerable interest, say, in the study of the mechanical properties of materials under extremal loading conditions (high pressures and strain rates). As in the case of using a high explosive, the application of the method mentioned permits realization of impulsive force loads by two methods: by electrical explosion of a conductor in direct contact with the material under investigation (1), and by deceleration of a thin impactor accelerated by an electrical explosion (2, 3) by an obstacle from the material under investigation. In practice, the electrical explosion turns out to be a convenient experimental method for obtaining low impulse magnitudes. Experimental results obtained by the first method to produce pressure pulses are represented in this paper.