Energy release in electrical wire explosions coupled with energetic materials

To exceed the power density limit of conventional CHON energetic materials (carbon, hydroxide, and nitrogen based energetic materials), we utilize electrical wire explosions, which generate plasma that drives energetic materials and produces coupling effects. An electrochemically coupled experimental setup and a measurement diagnosis system are used to investigate the energy release characteristics of the explosion of an electrical wire coupled with energetic materials. At ordinary temperature and atmospheric pressure in an air environment, the electrical explosion of an aluminum wire coupled with HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) can be divided into four distinct stages: phase transition, current pause, plasma discharge, and loop oscillation discharge. The plasma discharge phase generates over 63% of the deposition energy. Images captured by a framing camera indicate that the expansion velocity of the energetic materials is significantly smaller than the expansion velocity of the metal wire at 3.92 μs. At 5.92 μs, the energetic materials in the metal plasma expand under the action of detonation, and their expansion velocity rapidly exceeds that of the metal wire. At 10.92 μs, coupling of the electrical explosion and chemical explosion energies is achieved. When the charging voltage is increased by 5 kV, the current pause time is reduced by 37.2%, and the expansion process of the electrochemically coupled explosion products is faster, effectively improving the deposition energy velocity. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for improving the energy release efficiency of high-energy materials.