Cased Telescoped Ammunition Smart Seal Development.

摘要

The purpose of this research was to investigate alternative gun seals for Cased Telescoped Ammunition (CTA). This report summarizes the research findings of the 6 months duration project. The Army topic description for this research (A01-001 of the 2001 DoD solicitation) called for an investigation of the suitability of smart materials for this application. One such smart material mentioned by the Army in the solicitation was Nitinol, a shape memory alloy. MSI has developed and performed a thorough theoretical investigation of potential CTA sealing concepts that utilize this material. MSI also has investigated other concepts such as Teflon rings, piston rings, rubber skirts and nylon coatings. Several prototypes that fit a 145 mm cartridge were manufactured. A Nitinol sealing concept was developed that, based on theoretical evaluation, should provide excellent sealing performance. The design was based on currently available metal c-rings. A cost-effective manufacturing method was also established and a potential vendor was identified.