11955

Initial Temperature Effect on M1020 Ignition Cartridge Behavior

Heath T. Martin, Ryan W. Houim, Eric Boyer, and Kenneth K. Kuo
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
In this study, the effect of the initial temperature on the fundamental combustion
processes and overall performance of the M1020 ignition cartridge was examined to provide
both qualitative and quantitative information for design improvement to the 120mm mortar
system as well as advancing and validating existing numerical model (3D-MIB)1 of the system.
Experiments were performed on several mortar subsystems of increasing complexity so that
various sub-models of mortar system components can be validated individually, improving the
fidelity of the model as well as the understanding of the initial temperature effect on fundamental
combustion processes of the ignition cartridge. The temperature sensitivity of the burning rate of
the M48 propellant is determined from a series of closed bomb tests at temperatures of -45, -12,
21, and 63C. Knowing the temperature sensitivity of the propellant burning rate provides more
detailed input information for the numerical models, resulting in higher fidelity model
predictions. The pressurization and mass discharging behavior of the flash tube at these four
temperatures was also examined using high-frequency pressure measurements taken at various
axial locations during flash tube firings in a test apparatus shown in Fig. 1. The resulting
pressure histories are employed to define the initial temperature effect on an empirical parameter
in a flash tube model2 that accounts for the break-up of the black powder pellets in the flash tube.
A previous study3 found that the mass discharge rate of the product gases and particles from the
flash tube into the granular bed of the ignition cartridge is highly non-uniform along the length of
the tube. Therefore, a series of tests was performed on a modified flash tube with a non-uniform
distribution of vent-hole size. The test data have been used for determining the rate of mass and
energy of the discharging jets from the vent holes. The initial temperature dependence of the full
M1020 ignition cartridge was tested by static firing of a tail boom section mounted at 65
elevation (shown in Fig. 2). These tests are being conducted at the above four temperatures, and
have been instrumented with pressure transducers at multiple axial locations and two
thermocouples embedded in the M48 propellant bed. The results of these firings are being
compared with the predictions of the 3D-MIB code1 to validate its performance for extreme
temperature cases. Typical results for the flash tube and ignition cartridge tests are given in Figs.
3 and 4, respectively. Complete results and analysis of these experiments will be presented in
the final paper.
References
[1] Acharya, R., Kuo, K.K., 2010, Implementation of Approximate Riemann Solver to TwoPhase Flows in Mortar Systems, Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 77, pp. 051401-1 to
051401-9.
[2] Houim, R.W., Kuo, K.K., 2010, Understanding Interior Ballistic Processes in a Flash Tube,
Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 77, pp. 051403-1 to 051403-9.
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[3] Moore, J.D., Kuo, K.K., Acharya, R., and Ferrara, P.J., 2009, Effect of Flash Tube VentHole Patterns on the Combustion Product Discharge Rate, International Journal of
Energetic Materials and Chemical Propulsion, Vol. 7, pp. 199-220.

Figure 1. Instrumented flash tube test setup with multiple transducers

Pressure
Transducers

Instrumented
TailBoom

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Figure 2. Instrumented tail boom test setup at 65 elevation.

3200
(x, cm)
2800

(4.85)

(8.38)

0'
1'

2400

20

P (10.26)
2'

Pressure, P, psia

4'

2000

P (15.79)
5'

1600
10
1200
800

Pressure, P, MPa

15

P (14.02)

400
0
0

2
3
Time, t, ms

Figure 3. Typical measured flash tube P-t traces from a baseline configuration

Port 6 Location (x=5.86 cm)

Experimental Data

16000

MVBC-01
100

MVBC-02

14000

MVBC-03
MVBC-04

80

MVBC-05
10000

Numerical
60

8000
6000

40

Pressure, P [MPa]

Pressure, P [psia]

12000

4000
20
2000
0

0
0

0.5

1
Time, t [ms]

1.5

Figure 4. Typical comparison of measured and calculated P-t traces from ignition cartridge tests