Specificity of Burning of Porous Combustible Material Used as Cartridge Case

Abstract

The combustible cartridge case has become an integral part of many modern weapons systems. The energetic and burning characteristics of the combustible case can have a significant impact on shot parameters. This paper describes Closed Vessel Tests (CVTs) performed on combustible cartridge case material and presents a method of determining the physical burning law and the linear burning rate of the tested material. The method was verified on the basis of the results of CVT of the felted combustible cartridge case material of a 120 mm tank round. It is shown that, in the case of porous combustible materials, the standard methods of determining the burning rate fail. The porosity of combustible materials greatly increases the burning surface and heat feedback from the burning zone to the unburned structure. These effects significantly increase the burning rate of porous materials. The results of analysis show the strong dependence of the burning rate on pressure. The results of this study can be applied in the modeling of gun propellant systems that contain combustible case elements.