Study on evaluation method for driving fragment ability of explosives.

Area of Science:

• Explosives Engineering
• Ballistics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Selecting appropriate explosives for warheads requires reliable methods to assess their fragment-driving capabilities.
• Existing evaluation techniques may lack the precision needed for modern ordnance development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel evaluation method for the driving fragment ability of explosives.
• To establish theoretical and technical support for selecting explosives in warhead design.
• To introduce TNT equivalent as a key indicator for fragment-driving performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dimensional analysis and the similarity principle to develop the evaluation methodology.
• Constructed a specialized test system including a dynamite gun, spherical fragment, and velocity measurement system.
• Established a basic evaluation model correlating TNT mass with fragment maximum velocity.

Main Results:

• Verified the method using TNT and thermobaric explosives, achieving a TNT equivalent of 1.29 for thermobaric explosives.
• The calculated TNT equivalent showed a 3.2% difference from the Gurney-specific energy ratio, within engineering error tolerances.
• Demonstrated the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed evaluation method.

Conclusions:

• The developed evaluation method is effective and accurate for assessing the driving fragment ability of explosives.
• The method provides a reliable basis for the selection of explosives in warhead applications.
• The TNT equivalent offers a practical metric for comparing fragment-driving performance across different explosive types.