X-ray and Visual Investigations on the Combustion Process of Curved, Low-gas, Pyrotechnic Paths Used in Self-destruction Assemblies of Missile Fusing Systems

The validation of the consistency of combustion front propagation along confined, low-gas, curved, pyrotechnic paths pressed into the grooves of the disc bodies of artillery and rocket ammunition fusing systems, is of critical importance as it concerns the functional reliability and safe usage of such types of ammunition. To validate the above consistency, Real Time X-ray Radioscopy (RTR) was utilized for the recording of the combustion process of curved pyrotechnic paths comprising two delay time segments. To confirm the observations obtained by the RTR technique, visual (VIS) recording was utilized for the unconfined pyrotechnic path. Due to the RTR and VIS techniques, evolution of the combustion process was recorded as a combustion front travelling along the pyrotechnic path. The combustion front had a convex shape. Using the VIS technique, a conical, bright tail was also observed behind the combustion front. The mean velocity of the propagation of the combustion front along each delay segment of the confined pyrotechnic path was determined on the basis of the RTR recordings. Using the RTR and VIS techniques, it was possible to quasi-continuously detect and record the combustion front movement along the confined and unconfined pyrotechnic paths, respectively. The VIS observations confirmed the RTR recording of the convex shape of the combustion front. In addition, the VIS technique allowed us to record the bright, conical tail.