Gun Propellants, Internal Ballistics and Weapon Thermodynamics

On successful completion of the module the student will be able to:

• Describe and assess the role of propellants in current and future gun systems, leading to the critically evaluation of a propellant’s ballistic, storage, vulnerability, mechanical and combustion properties
• Discuss and calculate the internal ballistic/performance of a gun propellant. Illustrate how the burning behaviour of propellant grains affects the motion of the shot within a gun barrel. Model the effects of heat transfer on a gun barrel. Formulate a theory of gun barrel erosion.

Chemistry (Propellants)

• Nitrocellulose and single, double, triple and multi-base propellants
• Oxygen balance and its effects – barrel erosion and flash
• Specific energy: balancing heat and gas production
• Ageing and storage properties
• Ballistic parameters and their measurement by a Closed Vessel
• Low vulnerability ammunition propellants and other new developments.

Physics (Ballistics)

• Pressure travel curves in a gun
• Resal’s energy equation
• Effect of grain size and shape on gun performance
• Equation of motion of shot within a gun barrel
• Alternatives to solid propellants.

Engineering (Thermodynamics)

• Heat transfer equations
• Measurement and computer modelling of gun barrel temperature
• Theory of gun barrel erosion
• Self-ignition of propellants and explosives.