iMechanica - energetic materials - Comments

good

ferary — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 07:08:33 -0500

I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you!

High Pressure Induced Deflagration to Detonation Transition

Henry Tan — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:48:58 -0400

Title: "High Pressure Induced Deflagration to Detonation Transition in Energetic Materials"

Presenter: Dr Henry Tan

Venue: Pariser H18
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
The University of Manchester

Date/Time: 2:30-3:30pm May 7th (Wednesday), 2008

Surfaces, Microstructure & Fracture Group Colloquia, Cambridge

Henry Tan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:22:00 -0400

Sudden energy release around interfaces during quasi-static loading

H. Tan

1st May 2008

Surfaces, Microstructure & Fracture Group Colloquia

Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge

Non-ideal explosives

Henry Tan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:16:54 -0400

Non-ideal explosives

EPSRC Network (April 2008): Non-Ideal Detonation

Henry Tan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:15:00 -0400

Non-Ideal Detonation - 24th/ 25th April 2008 - Chemical Engineering, Imperial College

An introduction to non-ideal detonation from a commercial explosives perspective. S K Chan, Orica

Effect of ammonium perchlorate mass fraction and particle size in mixtures with nitromethane on the Charge Diameter on Detonation Velocity - Boris Khasainov, ENSMA

Detonation Failure in non-ideal Explosives. P J Haskins, Qinetiq

Pressure Burn rate laws - H Tan, Manchester

Non-ideal heterogeneous explosives and detonation limits - Imperial College TBA

Rolls-Royce project

Henry Tan — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:00:44 -0500

Waqas,

Can you put some of your results on this web, with pictures and physical explanations?

Henry.

Nuclear Decommissioning Engineering at Manchester

Henry Tan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:34:38 -0500

Nuclear Decommissioning Engineering at Manchester

The Dalton Nuclear Institute at The University of Manchester has announced the appointment of Professor Bernard Kelly FREng to the Chair in Nuclear Decommissioning Engineering.

1663, Los Alamos's Top-Secret

Henry Tan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:19:04 -0500

1663

Los Alamos Security, 2004

Symbols of Britain’s atomic age reduced to rubble in seconds

Henry Tan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:45:41 -0500

SELLAFIELD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Explosive demolition of cooling towers at the Calder Hall Magnox Nuclear Reactor at Sellafield, Cumbria, England. Calder Hall was the first civil nuclear power station in the world, opened by HM the Queen in 1956.

50 years erased in seconds - Calder Hall's cooling towers are demolished

Sellafield demolition: Massive symbols of Britain’s atomic age reduced to rubble in seconds

China Publishes First Moon Picture

Henry Tan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:45:00 -0500

First Moon Picture Back from China's Chang'e Probe

Chinese's dream of flying to the moon, Chang'e.

Test Firing of NASA's four segment Reusable Solid Rocket Motor

Henry Tan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:28:32 -0500

ATK Conducts Test Firing of the Space Shuttle's Reusable Solid Rocket Motor

In its continued effort to ensure safety of the Space Shuttle, and to prepare for the development of Ares I, Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) successfully conducted a test firing today (Thursday, November 1, 2007) of NASA's four segment Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM).

ATK Test Firing Of Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor

Henry Tan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:22:43 -0500

ATK Conducts Successful Test Firing Of Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor

Alliant Techsystems conducted Thursday May 24, a successful test firing of NASA's Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) as part of continuous testing to improve performance and ensure safety of the Space Shuttle, which also transfers improvements into the shuttle-derived first-stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle.

The Reusable Solid Rocket Motor generated 2.6 million pounds of average thrust throughout the duration of the test, which lasted approximately two minutes -- the same duration the motors fire when launching the Space Shuttle.

"Static tests are an integral part of ATK and NASA's commitment to ensure the safety of NASA's astronauts," said Ron Dittemore, President, ATK Launch Systems. "These tests will also aid in the development of the Ares I launch vehicle, providing a smooth technical and workforce transition as the shuttle program is retired."

The test included 58 objectives to obtain and validate performance data and upgrades being analyzed for the future. Among them was a test to collect data for enhanced understanding of noise and vibration produced by one solid rocket motor for analysis of its relationship to the Ares I vehicle. Other objectives included testing of improved nozzle and case insulation materials.

"This is a good example of why static firings are so important to not only the Space Shuttle but the entire space program," said Dittemore. "Every test objective performed for the shuttle's RSRM program will also benefit the Ares I first stage element as well."

Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket that includes an upper stage topped by the Orion crew capsule, its service module and launch abort system, patterned after the Saturn rockets that helped propel the Apollo capsule to the moon. NASA has slated it to replace the shuttle for missions to the International Space Station, and to eventually return to the Moon and venture on to Mars, working in concert with the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, whose design includes two RSRBs as part of its core stage propulsion system.

Industrial Placement

Waqas Ahmad — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:17:42 -0500

Industrial Placement

‘Optimising Superplastic Forming Die Shape and Platens for Next Generation Aero Engine Production’

Background

The design of hot forming dies was optimised in the 1980s for the engine types at the time, the knowledge bank has remained constant ever since. The current high by-pass ratio engines are larger and therefore require larger hot forming dies. The increase in size of dies and presses along with the increase in mass of material and thermal efficiency means the cooling time has increased significantly.

The dies are regularly changed for routine maintenance, this includes die surface cleaning or re-cut. However, the current cooling rates are approximately 37°C per hour, this takes 3 to 4 days and consequently has an adverse impact on productivity. The actual die model has been simplified to fit into the scope of the project. The die is manufactured from cronite (HR4), a nickle based alloy. This project is of interest to Rolls-Royce, as the research done will be used by the company to conduct their own investigations on the hot forming process and improve the entire manufacturing process for fan blades.

Aims and Objectives

The project has aim of the project is:

1. To reduce the thermal cycling time during die change over/maintenance through optimised die and platen design.

These aims have been broken down into the following objectives

1. Model current die and platen thermal stress during thermal cycling,

2. Model current die and platen stress during forming,

3. Consider ways of redesigning die to speeding up the cooling press,

4. Define minimum working surface thickness before distortion occurs in normal surface,

5. Develop designs to optimise die shape and to achieve maximum cooling rates

Current Progress

The material used in the die is specially made for Rolls-Royce, as the material must perform at a temperature of 900°C and pressure in the region of 30bars this and the fact that Cronite has a high nickel content makes the material far too expensive therefore, it was beyond the scope of this project to conduct actual experiments on the material. Finite element analysis has been recognised as the best method of analysing the problem.

The finite element package Ansys was chosen to model the current die and platen stresses so far the progress has been reasonable. Several designs have been analysed and the best design will be taken to the next stage and studied in greater detail. The designs will be analysed structurally to determine the effect of the design change on the cooling time and to make sure the die can withstand the working conditions.

2007 Dynamic Compression of Condensed Matter

Henry Tan — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:11:26 -0500

2007 Dynamic Compression of Condensed Matter
5 - 6 December 2007
The Royal Society, London

The physical science behind dynamic response holds key challenges.

There is a need to understand materials under the extreme environments encountered in energy generation, conversion and exploitation and in wider industrial and defence applications. This meeting will bring together the community to focus on potentially significant emerging and scientifically challenging areas. It will span research areas informing the dynamic response of materials, new techniques and emerging diagnostics, and their application to the atomic to planetary scale. Keynote invited lecturers will outline the state of their fields of interest. The meeting format will encourage debate to air technical experience and identify future challenges ending with a round table discussion defining the key aspects of the field for the next decade.

Conference Overview

Shock physics in the 21st century
High pressure physics
Response under dynamic loading
Strength and damage
Equations of state
Detonation physics
Isentropic loading
Applications in planetary and space science
Materials at multiple length- and time-scales

Int. Seminar on New Trends in Research of Energetic Materials

Henry Tan — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:25:20 -0400

11th International Seminar on New Trends in Research of Energetic Materials
aimed at: Advances in Energetic Performance and Safety

April 09 - 11. 2008
University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic
http://www.ntrem.com/index.htm

Organized by: Institute of Energetic Materials, FCHT, UPa