USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Willis Mock, Jr

William H Holt

Susan L Bartyczak

Lauren N Edgerton

Bradley L Hanna

A test fixture is provided for evaluating structural response of a sample to blast pressure from a muzzle of a gas gun. The fixture includes an adapter, an annular flange, a gauge assembly and a target assembly. The adapter has a proximal rim and an expansion tube. The rim attaches to the muzzle to direct the blast pressure into the tube towards an exit opposite the rim. The annular flange has a ring and a shim that attaches to the tube at the exit. The gauge assembly contains the sample between upstream and downstream stress gauges. The target assembly contains the gauge assembly. The target assembly includes front and rear annular plates connecting coaxially in parallel. The rear annular plate connects to the ring. The tube carries the blast pressure through the exit to strike the gauge assembly for the stress gauges to measure stress from the blast pressure. The ring includes first circumferentially distributed through-holes substantially parallel to the flange's symmetry axis and second circumferentially distributed mutually parallel through-holes angularly offset from the symmetry axis for mounting the rear plate to the ring either coaxially or at an oblique angle.

Blast attenuation mount

A test fixture is provided for mounting a sample to a gas gun. The fixture includes a gun barrel mount including an annular enclosure with first and second axial ends, and a sample platform. The mount connects to the gas gun at the first end. The sample platform includes a tubular component having third and fourth axial ends, a pusher disk, an end plate, and a flange. The disk supports the sample and mounts to the end plate. The flange removably attaches to the component at the third end. The end plate removably attaches to the component at the fourth end and to the enclosure at the second end.

Gas gun fixture to evaluate blast wave on target sample

An initiator is provided for a munitions device that is intended to strike a target substantially along a trajectory direction and contains an explosive within a case. The initiator includes a sleeve, first and second anvils and an initiation pellet disposed between the anvils. The sleeve is disposed within the case and adjacent to the explosive, and defines an initiator interior aligned substantially parallel to the trajectory direction. The sleeve includes one or more orifices that extend therethrough between the explosive and the interior, the orifices being disposed adjacent to the pellet. The pellet is composed of a reactive material that chemically responds as a non-explosive to kinetic and thermal stimuli. The first anvil is disposed transverse to the interior and forward of the pellet, while the second anvil is disposed within the interior behind of the pellet, wherein the second anvil translates towards the first anvil substantially along the trajectory direction in response to the device striking the target. The pellet discharges particles through the orifices, the particles being directed into the explosive in response to the second anvil translating towards the first anvil. The sleeve can be disposed within the explosive. The reactive material can be a solid or powdered mixture of powdered aluminum and polytetrafluoroethylene or other fluoropolymer, or alternatively a thermite mixture of powdered metal and metal oxide and may include added polytetrafluoroethylene or other fluoropolymer.

Reactive material initiator for explosive-filled munitions

A reactive munition uses a housing made from a housing in a state that is three-dimensionally rigid. The housing can be made of metal, such as aluminum. A reactive filler, such as powdered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fills the one or more cavities in the aluminum housing. A jacket encases the housing filled with the reactive filler.

Reactive munition in a three-dimensionally rigid state

Positron-emitting probes that have certain features that facilitate the use f positrons for nondestructive testing of fatigued metals. The features include the use of an unfatigued substrate for supporting the positron-emitting material, electric and/or magnetic fields to concentrate the positrons on the test item, and a thin scintillator window for use with those radioactive materials that emit a positron without emitting a time-correlated gamma photon. It should be understood that the foregoing abstract of the disclosure is for the purpose of providing a non-legal brief statement to serve as a searching-scanning tool for scientists, engineers and researchers and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as disclosed herein nor is it intended that it should be used in interpreting or in any way limiting the scope of fair meaning of the appended claims.

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Fredericksburg, VA, United States of America

Willis Mock, Jr