Development of an Ultrasonic TNT Slurry Analyzer.

摘要

The goal of this work was to develop, install, and test an ultrasonic instrument for continuous, nondestructive evaluation of TNT mixtures inside a production melt kettle. A first instrument was installed and tested at a pilot-scale melt kettle in building 810 at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering (star) Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ. This instrument was then lengthened for installation in a full-sized melt kettle on Line 3a at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, Middletown, Iowa (operated by American Ordnance). The instrument includes an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver encased in a stainless steel probe, and the electronics to interpret the measured ultrasonic signals. The instrument provides continuous information on the amount of solid TNT in the solid/liquid (molten) TNT mixture in the kettle. This information will be used to improve the quality, safety and costs of manufacturing TNT munitions.