Shockwave overpressure of propellant gases around the mortar

Abstract

This paper is a result of many years of research in the field of the powder gases shockwave overpressure, which occurs during firing from the mortar. The cause of these occurrences is a sudden flow of powder gases from the weapon barrel and its expansion in the undisturbed environment. In this paper, an influence of a propellant charge on the overpressure intensity of the shockwave produced by powder gases nearby mortar is shown. The research comprised modelling and computation of the overpressure field around the weapon, in order to determine its intensity and distribution in space and time. With the aim of the real description of the mentioned occurrences, the theoretical part was given, and then the numerical modelling of the instantaneous flow of the powder gases from the mortar barrel has been conducted. Experimental results are obtained from the firing experiments with the 120mm mortar. Computation and experimental results are given in the form of a chart of the barrel pressure change and overpressure of powder gases, at the characteristic measuring points around mortar.

Keywords

• gas dynamics
• the gas flow process
• powder charge
• powder gases
• overpressure
• shockwave
• pressure influence
• mortar
• interior ballistics
• experimental results