A Numerical Method for Predicting Thermal Erosion in Gun Tubes.

Abstract : A numerical model for predicting the thermal erosion on the in-bore surface of a gun tube due to high convective heating is presented. The model is based on a unidimensional implicit numerical solution of the heat conduction equation with an ablation boundary condition. The ablation boundary condition models the heat transfer at the melt interface and allows the ablation rate of the surface to be predicted. The model has been validated against previous numerical and analytical results for related model problems. Application of the numerical model has been made to predict the erosion on the M256 cannon firing the M829Al projectile. The predicted ablation rates are within the observed erosion rates for normal erosion on the M256 cannon.