Method of evaluating energy released by a warhead charge based on average fragment quality

Abstract

Limited initiation energy or external stimulation may cause incomplete detonation in a warhead. At present, there is no quantitative method to characterize the energy release of a warhead charge for incomplete detonation such as explosion and deflagration. We propose a method based on average fragment quality to characterize the energy released by a warhead charge. The theoretical study shows that the average fragment quality after warhead initiation is inversely proportional to the initial fragment velocity. The relationship between the average fragment quality and explosive energy release is established and verified by experiment. This relation can be used to determine the charge energy released after warhead initiation. It provides a theoretical basis for optimizing efficiency of charge energy use in high-energy conventional damage technology and warhead design, and provides a quantitative method for evaluating insensitive ammunition.

Keywords:
Ammunition; Natural fragments; Average quality; Explosive energy release

Graphical Abstract