SwRI: Measurement of Ballistic and Explosive Events, fully instrumented, high-fidelity experiments to examine impact, penetration, and blast phenomena of explosions

  image of IMACON ultra high-speed digital camera used for imaging of projectile penetration into ceramic armor
 

IMACON ultra high-speed digital camera used for imaging of projectile penetration into ceramic armor

Fully instrumented, high-fidelity experiments are conducted at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to examine:

  • Impact

  • Penetration

  • Blast phenomena

  • Hazard/safety assessments

Ballistic and Explosion Test Facility

The Ballistic and Explosion Test Facility is staffed with experienced technicians who design and fabricate specialized sensors and data recording devices to meet unique requirements. To measure, record, and analyze data from ballistic and explosive events, the Ballistic and Explosion Test Facility has a variety of systems including:

  graph displaying over-pressure measurement from high explosives test
 

Over-pressure measurement from high explosives test

  • Instrumentation

  • Data recording

  • Automated data reduction

Dynamic Measurements & Transducers

  • Blast and quasi-static pressure

  • Temperature

  • Strain

  • Acceleration

  • Rotation

  • Displacement

  • High-speed photo-optic sensors

  • Ultra high-pressure carbon gages

  image of SwRI-designed probe for measuring wave propagation in soils and powders
 

SwRI-designed probe for measuring wave propagation in soils and powders

High-Speed Imaging

  • IMACON ultra high-speed digital camera (up to 108 frames per second)

  • High-speed digital video systems

  • Radiography

  • 300 kV and 150 kV Hewlett Packard pulsed x-ray systems

  • On-site automated film processing

  • Digital image analysis and enhancement

Radiography Transient Data Acquisition

  image of typical piezoelectric transducers used to measure blast pressures
 

Typical piezoelectric transducers used to measure blast pressures

  • Nicolet Multipro high-speed data acquisition system (72 channels)

  • Portable Nicolet Multipro high-speed data acquisition system (24 channels)

  • Analog magnetic tape recorders with simultaneous backup

Ballistics and Explosives Range

SwRI operates and maintains the Ballistics and Explosives Range on the San Antonio campus. This 10-acre facility permits a wide variety of experimental programs to be conducted, including:

  • Explosive loading

  • Hazards evaluation and mitigation

  • Foreign object damage

  • Ballistic impact

  • Armor testing

  • Hypervelocity impact

SwRI technicians provide expert support for handling explosives, firing gas and powder guns, and collecting high-rate electronic data. A complement of equipment, including an on-site machine shop, digital data acquisition and transient recorders, high-speed imaging equipment, and data processors, supports range activities.

 

For more information about measurement of ballistic and explosive events capabilities at SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Donald Grosch at dgrosch@swri.org or (210) 522-3176.

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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) is an independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 12 technical divisions using multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving. The Institute occupies more than 1,200 acres and provides nearly two million square feet of laboratories, test facilities, workshops, and offices for more than 3,300 employees who perform contract work for industry and government clients.