Ultrasonic Probe for Quality Measurement of Explos

There is currently very limited in-process monitoring and control information available during the manufacturing of explosives at Army ammunition plants. The first quality measurement is done well after all processing is complete. Unfortunately, the composition/quality can vary significantly due to metering errors, process variations, and delivery blockages. Even a small variation in the mix composition can severely impact the performance, reliability, and safety of the explosive. The overall vision of this initiative is to provide improved explosives quality through tighter control of manufacturing variables. This initiative would apply unique, ultrasonic-sensing technology to monitor the quality of explosives manufacturing. The advantage of using ultrasound is that sensors can be completely isolated from the explosives, making it low power and safe for operators. Analysis of the ultrasonic signal can provide information on physical and chemical changes during the manufacturing process. The proposed effort would provide key information at an early stage rather than after the process is finished. This information would enable closed-loop control of explosives manufacturing during the actual process. For example, if significant variations in composition are detected during batch processing, adjustments to feed rates or mass balances could be changed to ensure final product quality.