Effects of Plasma Injection Duration and Position on Solid Propellant Electrothermal Gun Performance

The performance of solid propellant electrothermal (SPETC) guns, besides being dependent on the total electrical energy used, is also influenced by the time frame and region over which the electrical energy is deposited. There is expected to be a point in the interior ballistic cycle where additional electrical energy input does not result in a significant projectile velocity increase since the electrically heated gases may not even reach the projectile. The aim of this study is to gain a clearer understanding of the plasma propellant interaction over the whole interior ballistic cycle and provide guidance to the selection of experimental parameters to optimize SPETC gun performance.Army Research Lab Aberdeen Proving Ground is the author of 'Effects of Plasma Injection Duration and Position on Solid Propellant Electrothermal Gun Performance', published 1996 under ISBN 9781423575245 and ISBN 1423575245.