HIGH FREQUENCY AIRBLAST PRESSURE SENSOR FOR UGT MEASUREMENTS

CONVENTIONAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR AIRBLAST PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS IN CAVITY SHOTS IS LIMITED IN RISE TIME CAPABILITY. THIS RESULTS IN THE INSTRUMENTATION PROVIDING AN INCORRECT INDICATION OF PEAK PRESSURE, WHICH CREATES DISTORTION IN GENERATED HEIGHT-OF-BURST CURVES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FIBER OPTIC AIRBLAST PRESSURE SENSOR BASED ON THE PHOTOELASTIC EFFECT IS PROPOSED. THIS TECHNIQUE PROMISES TO PROVIDE AIRBLAST PRESSURE SENSORS WITH PEAK PRESSURE MEASUREMENT CAPABILITY TO AS HIGH AS 20 KBAR WITH A SUB-MICROSECOND RISE TIME CAPABILITY. THIS WOULD OFFER A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT TO AIRBLAST PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS ON CAVITY SHOTS. THE PROPOSED MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY UTILIZED ON UNDERGROUND TESTS. ON DISKO ELM THE OUTPUT DETECTION SCHEME THAT WILL BE USED WITH THESE SENSORS DEMONSTRATED THE MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES THAT WILL BE ACHIEVED IN THE AIRBLAST PRESSURE SENSORS.