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Characterization of Bore Temperatures and Stresses in Small Caliber Gun Barrels

Data gathered from physical testing will be compared to analytical methods used to assess barrel wall temperature profiles and barrel wall stress and strain.

Currently in the small arms community, with the push for lighter, stronger barrels with improved life, a more complete understanding of the bore's thermal and structural behavior is required in order to not only improve future barrel design but to more thoroughly and accurately assess barrels in the current inventory.

The environment within a small caliber gun barrel during a firing event is extreme. As a round is fired, hot, pressurized gases are produced, ranging in the thousands of degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and up to and beyond 62,500 lb per square inch (psi), all within 1 ms. Moreover, in an automatic weapon such as a machine gun, the barrel's steady state temperature quickly increases as more rounds are fired in succession with the outer surface of machine gun barrels reaching higher than 1,000°F.

M240L long barrel

While the temperature at the barrel's outside wall can be easily measured in real time by a variety of means, the temperature at the bore or throughout the barrel's wall is much more difficult to characterize experimentally. Previous research aimed to characterize the true temperature experienced by a 5.56-mm test barrel's bore and throughout the barrel's wall in real time. Other research also looked at measuring the temperature through a 5.56-mm M4 barrel's wall and correlating the data back to numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and simulation tools. Data from those studies has been correlated back to various modeling and simulation of the respective 5.56-mm barrels; however, there is no information available on 7.62-mm barrels, such as the M240L long barrel. Data and related modeling and simulation from a 7.62-mm barrel, when combined with the data and modeling and simulation from the 5.56-mm barrels, will help develop a better understanding of barrel heating in small caliber barrels and could help to increase the fidelity of the modeling and simulation tools used to predict barrel temperatures.

Stress analysis of small caliber barrels is currently done using calculations in the Army Materiel Command Pamphlet (AMCP), Engineering Design Handbook, Guns Series, Gun Tubes, AMCP 706-252. There has been minimal work done to correlate test data back to the calculations outlined in AMCP 706-252. While strain is easily measured, traditional strain gages are limited in their utility on a machine gun barrel due to the temperature that the outside of the barrel reaches during firing. Correlation of the strain measured in the hoop direction to the strain calculated using traditional methods from AMCP 706-252 is critical to gaining a more thorough understanding of the barrel's structural behavior.

The purpose of this research is to characterize the temperature and stress in a 7.62-mm M240L long machine gun barrel during a firing event using commercial sensors and data acquisition equipment. The data from testing is intended to be used to correlate and validate numerical CFD modeling and simulation to predict barrel temperature, as well as gun barrel stress analysis outlined in AMCP 706-252. Temperature data was measured with in-wall thermocouples (IWTC) from Veritay Technology, Inc. (East Amherst, NY), and strain data was measured with strain gages from Vishay Precision Group (VPG), Inc. (Malvern, PA). The measurements were taken in real time and at high sampling rates so that the true profile during the firing event could be observed.

This work was done by Adam M. Jacob, Adam L. Foltz, and Laurie Florio for the Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center. ARDEC-0004

Topics:
Aerospace Computational fluid dynamics Data Acquisition Data Acquisition Defense Detectors Instrumentation Logistics Measuring Instruments Military vehicles and equipment Munitions Sensors Simulation Software Simulation and modeling Test & Measurement Vehicles
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
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Characterization of Bore Temperatures and Stresses in Small Caliber Gun Barrels

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    Aerospace & Defense Technology Magazine

    This article first appeared in the April, 2019 issue of Aerospace & Defense Technology Magazine (Vol. 4 No. 2).

    Read more articles from this issue here.

    Read more articles from the archives here.

    Overview

    The document titled "Characterization of Bore Temperatures and Stresses in Small Caliber Gun Barrels" is a technical report that focuses on the thermal and mechanical behavior of small caliber gun barrels during firing. Authored by Adam M. Jacob, Adam L. Foltz, and Laurie Florio, the report was published in February 2019 and is approved for public release.

    The primary objective of the report is to analyze the bore temperatures and stresses that occur in small caliber gun barrels, which are critical factors influencing the performance, safety, and longevity of firearms. The study employs various methodologies to measure and characterize these parameters, providing insights into how they affect the overall functionality of gun systems.

    Key findings of the report include detailed observations of temperature profiles within the barrel during firing sequences. The authors discuss how rapid heating can lead to thermal stresses that may compromise the structural integrity of the barrel. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding these thermal dynamics to improve barrel design and material selection, ultimately enhancing the performance and reliability of small caliber weapons.

    Additionally, the report outlines the experimental setup used for the measurements, including the instrumentation and techniques employed to gather data on bore temperatures and stresses. The authors also present a discussion on the implications of their findings for military applications, particularly in terms of optimizing barrel life and performance under various firing conditions.

    The document concludes with recommendations for future research directions, suggesting that further studies could explore advanced materials and cooling techniques to mitigate the adverse effects of high temperatures and stresses in gun barrels. Overall, the report serves as a valuable resource for engineers, researchers, and military personnel involved in the development and maintenance of small caliber firearms, providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence barrel performance.

    In summary, this technical report contributes significantly to the field of firearms engineering by providing empirical data and analysis on bore temperatures and stresses, which are essential for improving the design and functionality of small caliber gun barrels.

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