ABSTRACT
Explosive effects are an important consideration when dealing with projectiles that are designed to deliver blast, fragments, or even deep penetrating effects such as a shaped charge jet. This chapter discusses how an explosive wave propagates to generate velocity in the metal casing that it is adjacent to. The Gurney method assumes that all explosive chemical energy is converted into the kinetic energy of the fragments and expansion of the explosive products. A slapper detonator or open-faced sandwich consists of explosive on one side and a metal plate on the other side. Many configurations in common use for military applications require a cylindrical configuration where a tube of metal is filled with explosive material. There are several factors that affect the fragmentation process: explosive brisance, charge-to-mass ratio, casing diameter, casing wall thickness, and mechanical properties of the casing. The fragmentation process directly relates to the effectiveness of the weapon system.
