Informing the Simulation: Bridging the Gap Between Model and Reality in Extended Range Artillery

Abstract

For the first time ever the collection of base pressure data, on a projectile with a metal rotating band, has been achieved throughout the interior and intermediate ballistic cycles of a next-generation extended range howitzer. This novel approach utilizes a gyroscopically stabilized Instrumented Ballistic Test Projectile (IBTP) equipped with an On-Board Recorder (OBR). The results offer key insights into the base pressure to breech pressure ratio within next-gen systems. Real-world data is compared to Interior Ballistics of High Velocity Guns (IBHVG2) simulations to identify discrepancies used for improving model accuracy. The collected data, combined with propellant charge dynamics, allows for higher-fidelity structural analyses, conducted with Finite Element Analyses (FEA), and provides a deeper understanding of internal ballistics, paving the way for improved next-generation applications.