SPECTRAL ENERGIES LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF151-174

Description

ABSTRACT:Spectral Energies, LLC in collaboration with Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) at New Mexico Tech proposes to develop a novel system for measuring three-dimensional shock wave motion throughout an arena warhead test facility using the background-oriented schlieren (BOS) technique. This technique will image shock waves via their distortion of the ambient background of the arena test facility and will be capable of determining the full-field, time-resolved shock motion throughout a test. The system will use multiple high-speed cameras which will be synchronized with each other, and could be synchronized with other data capture systems including pressure gages and break screens to provide comprehensive measurements of a warhead test. We will develop software for performing the automated BOS analysis on the high-speed camera images to visualize and track shock waves. The three-dimensional shock wave field will be created from the individual BOS images using a tomographic reconstruction algorithm. The time-resolved BOS analysis will allow measurement of peak shock wave pressures, pressure durations, and imaging of fragments throughout the measurement region. This system will be expandable to allow integration of as many cameras as available to improve the full-field measurement capabilities. The developed software and methodology will be demonstrated during an explosive field-test to be performed at EMRTC in Socorro, NM, during Phase I.BENEFIT:The products developed under the current program are background-oriented schlieren (BOS) instrumentation (including custom-designed optics and cameras) and software for data acquisition and analysis. These products will be useful for measuring three-dimensional shock wave motion throughout an arena warhead test facility. The proposed instrumentation will image shock waves via their distortion of the ambient background of the arena test facility and will be capable of determining the full-field, time-resolved shock motion throughout a test. The system will use multiple high-speed cameras which will be synchronized with each other and with other data capture systems to provide comprehensive measurements of a warhead test. We will develop software for performing the automated BOS analysis and shock wave field reconstruction. The system will be expandable to allow integration of as many cameras as available to improve the full-field measurement capabilities. The BOS analysis will also allow imaging of oblique shock waves on fragments and measurement of shock wave pressures throughout the measurement region.