FACILITY DESIGN

IT IS PROPOSED TO DESIGN A TEST FACILITY AND DEVELOP A TESTING PLAN FOR A HYPERVELOCITY PROJECTILE LAUNCHER FACILITY AND FOR A TARGET IMPACT FACILITY. THE HYPERVELOCITY PROJECTILE LAUNCHER FACILITY SHALL BE CAPABLE OF GENERATING ROD-LIKE PROJECTILES UP TO 4-FEET LONG AND UP TO 0.5-INCH DIAMETER, AT UP SPEEDS UP TO THE RANGE OF 18,000 TO 40,000 FT/SEC. MODIFICATIONS OF THE EXPLOSIVELY DRIVEN SHARPED CHARGE AND LINER SYSTEM SHALL INCLUDE CAPABILITIES OF LAUNCHING MORE THAN ONE ROD AT A TIME, OR LAUNCHING RODS WITH SHEATHS AROUND THE ROD CORE MATERIAL. EXPLOSIVE, LINERS AND RESULTANT JET SIZE AND VELOCITY SCALING LAWS WILL BE EVALUATED. THE TARGET IMPACT FACILITY SHALL BE DESIGNED TO ISOLATE THE TARGET AREA FROM THE EXPLOSIVES AIRBLAST/ FRAGMENT ENVIRONMENT. THE TARGET MATERIAL WILL BE WATER FOR THOSE TESTS WHEREIN PROJECTILE FORMATION PHYSICS IS TO BE STUDIED. THESE TESTS WILL INCLUDE HIGH SPEED PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PROJECTILE DURING ITS FORMATION AND FLIGHT. THE TARGET MATERIALS WILL INCLUDE CONCRETE, REINFORCED CONCRETE, CERAMICS, AND STEEL FOR THOSE TESTS WHEREIN PENETRATION OF THE TARGET AND RESIDUAL ENERGY OF THE PROJECTILE AFTER TARGET PERFORATION IS TO BE STUDIED.