MODEL LAUNCH LOAD TEST DEVICE

LAUNCHERS USED IN HYPERVELOCITY RANGE AND TRACK FACILITIES SUBJECT TEST MODELS AND SABOTS TO SEVERE LOADS. STRUCTURAL FAILURES WASTE VALUABLE FACILITY TIME, COMPROMISE TEST OBJECTIVES, AND CAN DAMAGE THE BARREL. A MODEL/SABOT TEST DEVICEIS PROPOSED WHICH USES A SIMPLE GAS GUN TO GENTLY ACCELERATE A BACKWARDS-FACING FULL-SCALE MODEL AND THEN IMPACT IT AGAINST A CRUSH MATERIAL WHILE STILL INSIDE THE BARREL. THE HONEYCOMB OR POROUS METAL CRUSH MATERIAL CAN BE TAILORED TO PROVIDE A CONSTANT OR VARIABLE DECELERATION PROFILE. THREE OF THE FOUR FAILURE-CAUSING LAUNCH LOADS ARE SIMULATED: BASE PRESSURE, ACCELERATION, AND JERK. BARREL INTERACTIONS ARE ALSO SIMULATED. BALLOTING LOADS MAY BE TESTED SEPARATELY. LOADING DURATION IS ADEQUATE FOR QUASI-STEADY STRUCTURAL RESPONSE AND ALL FORMS OF DAMAGE. THIS DEVICE LENDS ITSELF TO CONVENIENT INSTRUMENTATION TO MEASURE THE ACCELERATION PROFILE AND MODEL RESPONSE, AND IT ENABLES POST-TEST MODEL EXAMINATION. PHASE I INCLUDES FIRMING-UP OF THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS, CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, FABRICATION AND DEMONSTRATION OF A SUBSCALE TEST FIXTURE, AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF THE FULL-SCALE TEST DEVICE.