Publications Details
The response of aeroshells to lightning
Electrical discharges from a lightning simulator were directed at Mk12 aeroshells. Buckling of the aluminum substrate was observed after some 100-kA shots, and severe damage consisting of tearing of the aluminum and the production of inward flying aluminum shrapnel was observed after some 200-kA peak-current shots. Some shots resulted in severe damage to both the aluminum and the carbon-phenolic ablative material. It is reasonable to conclude from the experimental results that a lightning stroke with very high-peak current could, by itself, produce an opening in an Mk12 aeroshell. Because the aeroshell is part of the nuclear explosive safety exclusion region for the Mk12/W62 nuclear weapon, an opening would significantly reduce the assured safety of the weapon. It is unlikely that the observed interaction between lightning and the aeroshells would have been predicted by any form of computer simulation.