A STUDY OF THE COMBUSTION OF HIGH-DENSITY PROPELLANTS IN A MODEL BALLISTIC INSTALLATION

Abstract

In internal ballistics of barrel systems, a promising trend is related to the increasing of projectile muzzle velocity by means of high-energy propellants utilized as a traveling charge. The use of a loading scheme with a traveling charge allows one to increase the loading density and to redistribute the energy of powder gases in the space behind the projectile, which leads to a significant increase in the muzzle velocity of the projectile. To attain the listed advantages, it is necessary to know the laws of dispersion and combustion of the propellants used as traveling charges, providing non-digressive gas entry into the charge space. In this work, a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the laws of dispersion and combustion of high-density propellants under dynamic pressures, provided in a model ballistic installation, is carried out. The main ballistic characteristics of shots are obtained, which use a classic scheme of loading with a propellant charge made of pyroxylin powder and a scheme with a traveling charge, where, in addition to the propellant charge, a high-density propellant is included. All the experiments are simulated in a software package, taking into account the presence of the high-density propellants in the propellant charge, dispersing into individual particles that burn out while moving along the barrel. As a result of comparing the calculated and experimental data, plausible patterns of the distribution of gas-dynamic parameters are obtained using the classic loading scheme and the loading scheme with a travelling high-density propellant charge.