IDENTIFICATION OF IGNITION CRITERIA FOR LOW VULNERABILITY AMMUNITION (LOVA) PROPELLANTS

LOW VULNERABILITY AMMUNITION (LOVA) PROPELLANTS ARE FORMULATED TO RESIST IGNITION BY VARIOUS THERMAL THREATS AND TO BURN POORLY AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. THESE FEATURES ALSO MAKE RELIABLE IGNITION IN GUN SYSTEMS A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES BY WHICH THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENTS THAT FOSTER IGNITION MIGHT BE IDENTIFIED AND EVEN FURTHER ENHANCED. THE PROPOSED APPROACH INVOLVES TAILORING AN IGNITER FORMULATION TO BE CHEMICALLY REACTIVE WITH LOVA PROPELLANT DECOMPOSITION SPECIES. BY ANALYZING GAS SAMPLES AND BY QUANTIFYING HEAT OF COMBUSTION FOR LOVA PROPELLANT ALONE, IGNITER CONCEPT ALONE, AND A COMBINATION OF LOVA PROPELLANT AND IGNITER, TENDENCIES TOWARD FAVORABLE CHEMICAL REACTIVITY CAN BE IDENTIFIED. FINALLY, BY PERFORMING A FACTORIAL IGNITION EXPERIMENT USING PROMISING IGNITER FORMULATIONS, THE PHYSICAL AS WELL AS CHEMICAL FACTORS CAN BE RANKED ACCORDING TO IGNITER FORMULATION AND GEOMETRICAL DESIGN PARAMETERS.