Field investigation and finite element analysis of 125 MM smooth bore tank gun barrel muzzle end behaviour with sand ingress

Abstract

Gun tube or Barrel is the most critical and highly stressed part in the Gun system which guides and ejects the firing projectile with set velocity and direction to hit on designated target into surrounding space The projectiles are accelerated inside gun tube by high propellant pressure gases in the gun barrel chamber Failure of the gun barrel therefore poses major safety hazard for the gun operating crew as well to the environment It is for the reason the gun designers attempt to develop the most conservative design while observing the design constraints of the overall gun system Even today the failures of gun barrels are heard and continuing notwithstanding the fact that the design procedures of a gun barrel are well established matured and ruggedized The likely causes of failures of gun barrels can be attributed to premature functioning or malfunctioning of ammunition inside the barrel bore deviation in barrel metallurgy and manufacturing processes operational lapses errors by the crews environment constraints and marginality in design The marginality in design certainly does not exist for static effects of pressure but can exist in the area of fatigue life consideration of the barrel and also due to the dynamic effects of barrel and projectile interaction newline