Numerical simulation of serial launch process of multiple projectiles considering the aftereffect period

Abstract

Purpose The numerical simulation of the serial launch process of multiple projectiles is an important engineering problem. However, the projectiles’ motion law is hard to obtain completely only by interior ballistic model. The muzzle flow field affects the projectiles’ velocities when the projectiles pass through it. Also, the propellant gas from previous projectiles may decelerate the later projectiles. Therefore, the aftereffect period should be simulated together with the interior ballistic process of multiple projectiles when researching the serial launch process for accurate motion law of the projectiles. Design/methodology/approach The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software is used to simulate the muzzle flow field. A one-dimensional two-phase reaction flow model is implemented in a computational code for the numerical simulation of gas-solid two-phase reaction flow, during the serial launch process. The computational code is coupled with CFD software by a user-defined function. Findings Compared with the first projectile, the formation process of the shock bottle of the second projectile is different. After the projectile head flies out of the muzzle, the projectile head pressure decreases rapidly, but then, it is not always equal to 0.1 MPa. After the projectiles leave the muzzle, the velocity increments of each projectile are mainly determined by muzzle pressure. Originality/value This paper presents a prediction tool to understand the projectiles’ motion law during the serial launch process of the multiple projectiles considering aftereffect period, and can be used as a research tool for future ballistic studies of a serial launch system of multiple projectiles.