This paper describes a new concept for propelling a projectile to hypervelocities and demonstrates the feasibility by numerical simulations. The concept employs imploding blast waves to accelerate a projectile which travels down a launch tube. The launch tube can be open to the atmosphere or sealed and maintained at some low pressure to minimize drag. The launch tube has a liner that contains a suitable explosive or energetic material. The explosive is configured with inert annular rings so as to prevent upstream detonation. A suitable trigger detonates each explosive ring sequentially as the projectile passes. The resulting blast wave causes an elevated pressure on the aft-end of the projectile. The acceleration continues until the projectile leaves the tube. In theory, launch velocities exceeding 6 km/s are possible.
The blast wave accelerator—feasibility study
Space Technology and Applications International Forum - 2001 ; 2001 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 552 , 1 ; 589-598
02.02.2001
10 pages
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
The Blast Wave Accelerator-Feasibility Study
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2001
|Numerical Simulation of the Blast-Wave Accelerator
Online Contents | 1996
|Numerical simulation of the blast-wave accelerator
AIAA | 1996
|