Basic investigations in a 70-mm firing simulator

The realization of proper interior ballistic performance in a large-caliber electrothermal-chemical (ETC) gun requires a well-defined interaction of the plasma ignition system with ETC-tailored propellants and charge designs. Before testing the interior ballistic cycle in a large-caliber gun, basic investigations in closed vessels and firing simulators have to be performed. In order to conduct these investigations, a 70-mm firing simulator has been designed and fabricated at Rheinmetall, Unterluess, Germany. The paper gives an overview on the setup of the 70-mm firing simulator. In the following, the design of the propellant charge to be tested is described briefly. Results obtained from preliminary interior ballistic simulations on the charge setup are presented. An overview on the test program is given and results of firings at different propellant temperatures are described and evaluated.