Hypervelocity Effects

The Hypervelocity Effects Division, lead by Dr. Stephan Bless, is concerned with basic science as it relates to the response of materials and structures to the intense pressures and loading rates characteristic of hypervelocity impact, and developing the engineering know-how to design/test practical novel kinetic energy penetrators. The Divison houses 4 teams: Experiments, Engineering, Computations, and Systems.

The Division operates a laboratory, that includes one of the largest hypervelocity research facilities in the world. The core of this facility is a two-stage light-gas launcher featuring a 38-mm launch tube. This launcher can achieve velocities close to 7 km/s. It is routinely used to launch 600 gram packages to 2.6 km/s. The two stage launcher is complemented by a 40-mm rail launcher capable of 3 km/s. Other launchers include a 56 mm single stage air launcher and small caliber launchers to 20 mm. The main range is extensively instrumented. 14 channels of flash x-rays are available over the 11-m length of the range. There are also three high speed photography systems. Additional instrumentation includes stress transducers, pressure transducers, and time-of-arrival transducers.