A 50 mm bore gas gun for dynamic loading of materials and structures

This paper documents the design and construction of a 50 mm bore laboratory gas gun capable of velocities up to 1500 m s⁻¹. The facility is designed using performance calculations using the analytical interior ballistics model of Pidduck and Kent (Seigel 1965 National Technical Information Service, AD475 660). The gun is constructed for two opposing classes of experiment. One of these geometries is that of plate impact, in which the loading is in one-dimensional strain, accomplished by impacting plane impactors onto targets aligned to micron tolerances, precisely normal to the impact axis. A second is multidimensional loading including the impact and recovery of specimens after soft recovery in catching systems. The system is capable of containing reactive targets when design must allow complete detonation of the target (up to 250 g). This has been accomplished and the system approved for use by the appropriate authorities. An example of the development of a multi-element particle and shock velocity measurement system is included to illustrate the new measurement systems in place.