The techniques of metallic foil electrically exploding driving hypervelocity flyer to more than 10 km/s for shock wave physics experiments

Abstract

Electrical explosion of metallic foil or wire is widely used to the fields of material science (preparation of nao-meter materials), dynamics of materials, and high energy density physics. In this paper, the techniques of gaining hypervelocity flyer driven by electrical explosion of metallic foil were researched, which are used to study dynamics of materials and hypervelocity impact modeling of space debris. Based on low inductance technologies of pulsed storage energy capacitor, detonator switch and parallel plate transmission lines with solid films insulation, two sets of experimental apparatuses with storage energy of 14.4 kJ and 40 kJ were developed for launching hypervelocity flyer. By means of the diagnostic technologies of velocity interferometer system for any reflectors and fibre-optic pins, the hypervelocity polyester (Mylar) flyers were gained. For the apparatus of 14.4 kJ, flyer of diameter φ6 ~ φ10 mm and thickness of 0.1 ~ 0.2 mm was accelerated to the hypervelocity of 10 ~ 14 km/s. And for the apparatus of 40 kJ, flyer of diameter φ20 ~ 30 mm and thickness of 0.2 mm was launched to the velocity of 5 ~ 8 km/s. The flatness of the flyer is not more than 34 ns for the flyer with diameter of 20 mm, and less than 22 ns for the flyer with diameter of 10 mm. Based on the Lagrange hydrodynamic code, one dimensional simulation was done by introducing database of equation of states, discharging circuit equation and Joule heat equation, and modifying energy equation. The simulation results are well agreed with the experimental results in accelerating processing. The simulation results can provide good advices in designing new experiments and developing new experimental devices. Finally, some experiments of materials dynamics and hypervelocity impact of space debris were done by using the apparatus above. The results show that the apparatus of metallic foil electrically exploding driving hypervelocity flyer is a good and versatile tool for shock dynamics.