Performance Analysis and Design Optimization of Two-Baffle Muzzle Brake of 155 mm Artillery Gun

Abstract

Muzzle brake is a device fitted at the muzzle end of the gun barrel to reduce the recoil energy by venting some amount of propellant gases sideways as the shot is fired. The focus of the study is a two-baffle muzzle brake which has its vast application in most of the 155 mm bored barrel of advanced artillery guns of the current generation. The objective of the study is to analyse and then optimize the current design of two-baffle muzzle brake developed for 155 mm barrel of advanced towed artillery gun system. The performance characteristics of muzzle brake is measured in terms of its efficiency, sound pressure levels (SPL) generated in the crew zone, mechanical strength and durability, considering the limitation on its weight which imposes instability at the muzzle end and further effects the accuracy of the impact of shot on the target. The indigenous computational methods and tools developed and validated in-house are used for the analysis and design optimization cycles. The inviscid, parallel flow solver developed was used to solve time-dependent fluid flow simulations of propellant gases. The solver is capable of executing dynamic simulations with rigid bodies in relative motions that solve the motion of shot from all burn point (ABP) of solid propellant to the instant of achievement of ambient conditions inside the combustion chamber of barrel. The peak pressure and the muzzle velocity of the shot attained for intense firing condition is 450 MPa and 890 m/s, respectively. The achievement of the study is a three-baffle muzzle brake design with efficiency 20% greater than current two-baffle muzzle brake, and other performance characteristics remained unaltered.