Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Detonators”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

752 records · Page 42

Shock initiation of low density polymer bonded explosive LX-14: A study of two morphologies

A series of six shock initiation experiments have been carried out on low density LX-14 powder in order to simulate a shock insult on the heavily damage polymer bonded explosive, LX-14. Two distinct morphologies were studied (tap density molding powder and machined swarf), both at the same density of 0.942 g/cm 3 , or 50.1% theoretical maximum density. The purpose of these experiments was to provide data to help make an assessment of the effects that damage has on the material sensitivity to a planar shock. This was achieved primarily by providing shock sensitivity data in the form of a Pop plot, and also reactants equation of state data, which aids in the determination of input conditions for both the experiments performed in this work and also future experiments of this material type. The experiments were of a cut-back format, consisting of four sample heights on each shot and diagnosed with optical velocimetry. The experiments were carried out at the Technical Area 40 Chamber 9 gas gun facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the LX-14 targets were subjected to Al 6061 and Oxygen Free High Conductivity copper impactors launched to velocities up to 2.14 km/s. Time corrected reactive growth wave profiles are presented in this paper along with the derivation of the following Hugoniot parameters for this explosive, where the molding powder and machine swarf are represented by the following linear equations, respectively, U s = 1.64 (±0.64)u p + 2.25 (±0.49) and U s = 0.87 (±.0.60)u p + 4.08 (±0.49). The results show that the steady increase in shock sensitivity with increasing void fraction reaches an inflection point beyond which the shock sensitivity begins to decease. This inflection point lies between 65% and 50% of the theoretical maximum density of the LX-14. In both cases, the damaged LX-14 was not as sensitive as expected, with a relative shock sensitivity of the molding powder being less than the pressed LX-14, and the machined swarf having a shock sensitivity that is comparable to pressed LX-14.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Impact of mechanical tolerances on partial turn skipping in helical flux compression generator

Maintaining tight mechanical tolerances of the components used in helical flux compression generators is crucial for optimizing device performance. Moving beyond current literature, which provides various approximations for acceptable tolerances, a 3D simulation of the armature stator interaction during generator operation was developed, revealing that existing equations frequently misestimate the tolerance limits. Without restricting the generality of the presented approach, the focus was primarily on the armature’s concentricity and roundness, comparing the acceptable tolerance limits between generators of different sizes. An analytical approach for select geometries was developed, confirming the 3D results. Quantitative results reveal that a steeper Gurney angle and increased winding pitch allow for less restrictive tolerances for eccentricity and ellipticity. Even small deviations from the ideal armature positioning and shape will result in fluctuations of the output current time-derivative, observed experimentally and in simulation. Larger deviations then cause partial turn skipping, associated with loss of magnetic flux. The simulation elucidates the impact of tolerance deviations on generator performance by offering precise tolerance ranges for various generator sizes, thereby facilitating informed design decisions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Weapons Radiochemistry: Trinity and Beyond

On July 16, 1945, the Trinity nuclear test exploded in the desert near Alamogordo, New Mexico. A variety of new diagnostic experiments were fielded in an effort to understand the detailed performance of the nuclear device. This paper describes a series of radiochemical experiments that were designed to measure the efficiency and neutron fluence of the test. These experiments, and the scientists who led them, laid the foundation of weapons radiochemistry for decades to come.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

NETL RDE Image Classification Dataset 2025 - 14 Classes

Dataset including high-speed down-axis RDE images used for updated image classification study. This dataset includes 180,000 images with 14 classifications: 1CW, 1CCW, 2CW, 2CCW, 3CW, 3CCW, Deflagration, 4CW, 4CCW, 5CW, and 5CCW. Images are cropped to center annulus, and resized to 301x301 pixels. Images are filtered using the AFRL Beta correction factor.

Dataset↗

NETL RDE Image Classification Dataset 2020 - 10 Classes

Dataset including high-speed down-axis RDE images used for updated image classification study. This dataset includes 100,000 images with 10 classifications: 1CW, 1CCW, 2CW, 2CCW, 3CW, 3CCW, and Deflagration. Images are cropped to center annulus, and resized to 301x301 pixels. Images are filtered using the AFRL Beta correction factor.

AS↗

Station 6: Focused Experiments

This station, the second of four on the inside portion of the exhibit, explains focused experiments at Los Alamos. The station consists of a title monitor, main monitor, pushbuton monitor, and tabletop.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗