Modeling of Ammunition Dynamic Pressure Measurement Chain in Ballistic Tests

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate internal dynamic pressure measurements are vital for ammunition development and performance analysis.
• Understanding the electrical characteristics of the measurement chain (piezoelectric transducer and charge amplifier) is essential for designing interior ballistics pressure measurement systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and model a piezoelectric transducer and its associated charge amplifier.
• To develop a comprehensive model for the dynamic pressure measurement chain used in ammunition testing.

Main Methods:

• Piezoelectric transducer characterization using impedance analysis and Butterworth-Van Dyke modeling.
• Charge amplifier characterization via response analysis and LTSpice simulation.
• Development and simulation of a complete measurement chain model using impulse signals.

Main Results:

• The piezoelectric transducer was accurately modeled using the Butterworth-Van Dyke model.
• The charge amplifier was effectively modeled using LTSpice simulation techniques.
• The integrated measurement chain model demonstrated low error when compared to original pressure curves, validating its effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The developed model accurately represents the piezoelectric transducer and charge amplifier system.
• The model is effective for simulating internal dynamic pressure measurements in ammunition testing.
• The study confirms the model's applicability in analyzing pressure variations and signal attenuation during calibration.