DOWN BARREL PROPELLANT INJECTION

INTERIOR BALLISTIC PERFORMANCE FOR SYSTEMS THAT ONLY INCLUDE COMBUSTION IN THE CHAMBER IS LIMITED BECAUSE MUCH OF THE CHEMICAL ENERGY IS CONVERTED INTO GAS KINETIC ENERGY. BURNING PROPELLANT NEAR THE PROJECTILE BASE, AS IN THE TRAVELING CHARGE CONCEPT, IS A METHOD FOR CIRCUMVENTING THIS PROBLEM. THAT CONCEPT HAS HAD ONLY MARGINAL SUCCESS AND IT IS CURRENTLY NOT BEING PURSUED. SOME OF THE BENEFITS ATTRIBUTED TO THE TRAVELING CHARGE CONCEPT CAN BE OBTAINED BY INJECTING PROPELLANT AT ONE OR MORE BARREL LOCATIONS AFTER THE PROJECTILE HAS PASSED. WHILE THE PROPELLANT IS BURNED AT VARIOUS DISTANCES FROM THE PROJECTILE BASE, A DISADVANTAGE, PROBLEMS SUCH AS PARASITIC WEIGHT, IGNITION TIMING AND COMBUSTION CONTROL ARE GREATLY REDUCED. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM CONSISTS OF FORMULATING A DOWN-BARREL PROPELLANT CONCEPT(S) AND ALSO DEVELOPING A 2-D INTERIOR BALLISTICS SIMULATION OF THE INJECTION PROCESS. FEASIBILITY OF THE CONCEPT WILL BE SHOWN THEORETICALLY BY THE ABILITY OF THE CODE TO SHOW THAT A PERFORMANCE INCREASE OF 25 PERCENT IS POSSIBLE.