High-Velocity Metal Fragment: Motion Characteristic and Optimization Design

This present work suggests a charge technique to produce a super high-velocity fragment (≥2350 m/s) using a 30 mm launching system. The steel cylindrical fragments with Brinell hardness HB ≤ 270 are designed according to STANAG 4496 in the experiment, and a test system including interval speed measuring device, pressure measurement and high-speed camera is employed to obtain the information on the velocity, pressure and muzzle field of the fragment. The flame characteristics presents an increasing area, and the fragment escapes the control of the muzzle field when the high-velocity fragment is flying out of the muzzle. Moreover, the projectile sabot can timely be separated from the fragment in the range of the first interval velocity measuring device. Based on this, the mathematic models on the interior ballistic process of the fragment movement are established to analyze the effects of various charge structures on the motion characteristic of the fragment. Comparisons of fragment velocity and chamber pressure of computational results are performed with experimental studies. A reasonable match has been obtained in these comparisons. Further, a discussion on the choice of charge parameters is performed by the optimization design for this super high-velocity fragment.