CONDUCTIVE POLYMER IGNITORS FOR LARGE GUN PROPELLANT CHARGES

THE PROBLEM OF IGNITING PROPELLANT CHARGES FOR LARGE CALIBER GUNS INVOLVES CONTROL OF IGNITION TIMING, DISTRIBUTION, AND RELIABILITY; SAFETY; RESISTANCE TO UNINTENDED IGNITION; LONG SHELF LIFE AND SIMPLICITY. ALSO, IF A NEW SYSTEM IS TO BE USED, THE POSSIBILITY OF RETROFIT TO EXISTING WEAPONS IS IMPORTANT. RESEARCH ON LASER IGNITION ADDRESSES THESE REQUIREMENTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE UPON EXISTING CHEMICAL IGNITORS. WE HAVE DEVELOPED A CONCEPT OF ELECTRICAL IGNITION THROUGH THE USE OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING POLYMERS, AND WHILE WE REALIZE THAT THIS SOLICITATION REFERS TO LASER IGNITION WE ARE CONVINCED THAT OUR CONCEPT DESERVES FEASIBILITY WORK AS A VALUABLE ALTERNATIVE THAT OFFERS NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES. CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT YEARS, AND THEY NOW HAVE PROPERTIES THAT SUGGEST THAT THEY ARE QUITE ATTRACTIVE FOR USE AS IGNITORS. IF SUCCESSFUL, THEY WILL REQUIRE ONLY A HIGH VOLTAGE PULSE FOR IGNITION, COMPLETELY ELIMINATING THE INTERMEDIATE LASER AND OPTICS. THEY OFFER SHOCK INSENSITIVITY, PRECISE DISTRIBUTION OF IGNITION, PRECISE TIMING, SIMPLICITY OF THE ENTIRE IGNITION SYSTEM, LOW COST, ABSENCE OF HARMFUL RESIDUE AND GREAT SAFETY. SIMPLE GROUNDING OF THE INPUT ELECTRODE UNTIL READY TO FIRE WILL PROVIDE IMMUNITY TO ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE, THE ONLY MEANS BY WHICH THEY CAN BE FIRED. THIS IS A PROPOSAL FOR FEASIBILITY WORK ON THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS AS LARGE GUN PROPELLANT IGNITORS.