A quarterly research and development magazine
Technical contact
Nipun Bhutani
(925) 294-4503 nbhutan@sandia.gov
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Mike Janes
(925) 294-2447 mejanes@sandia.gov
When designers working on a new high-caliber cannon system for the U.S. Army encountered a problem during testing, Sandia researchers proposed an adjustment that helped preserve in the cannon’s design a unique laser ignition system.
The weapon system, known as the Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon (NLOS cannon), is part of Future Combat Systems (FCS), a key Army modernization program. The completed artillery system will be self-propelled, fully automated, capable of firing six rounds per minute, and lightweight and compact enough so three of the vehicles can be carried aboard a C-17 cargo plane.
Its laser ignition unit — developed by the Army’s Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) in collaboration with Kigre, Inc. — is mounted on the back of the cannon’s gun barrel, where a laser beam is fired through an opening mechanism (the breech) to ignite a charge and launch a shell.
Sandia project manager Nipun Bhutani says the recoil force and shock of the artillery discharge had caused an increase in observed failures during early prototype testing. Instead of abandoning the laser ignition concept in favor of a traditional mechanical ignition system, the Army called in Sandia experts in shock effects on critical components.
To absorb the force of the discharge, Sandia proposed a new vibration isolation system between the laser and the breech that results in much lower shock levels to the ignition system. Lab researchers also applied the Labs’ modeling and experimental capabilities to harden the laser igniter. This involved modeling the physics associated with the gun loads and other dynamics inside the ignition system as the cannon is fired. The modeling required the use of dozens of computing nodes for 24 to 36 hours at a time on Sandia’s Shasta, Liberty, and Spirit clusters.
BAE Systems is developing the NLOS system as part of an FCS program led by Boeing and SAIC. Sandia, in collaboration with BAE Systems and ARDEC, is developing the vibration isolation system.