Ballistic Acceleration By Superheated Hydrogen

S. L. Bogart; J. R. Powell; T. J. Seed; C. F. Weggel; J. A. Dalessandro; J. Schuster; S. F. Sedehi

doi:10.1117/12.943635

6 April 1988 Ballistic Acceleration By Superheated Hydrogen

S. L. Bogart, J. R. Powell, T. J. Seed, C. F. Weggel, J. A. Dalessandro, J. Schuster, S. F. Sedehi

Proceedings Volume 0871, Space Structures, Power, and Power Conditioning; (1988) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.943635
Event: 1988 Los Angeles Symposium: O-E/LASE '88, 1988, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

A new concept for accelerating projectiles to ultra high velocities is described. The concept, termed BASH, rapidly (milliseconds) heats a hydrogen U235 mix-ture in a pulsed nuclear reactor. The hot high pressure propellant, which has a sound speed of .'20 km/sec, then accelerates a 2 kilogram projectile in a conventional gas-gun type barrel to a very high velocity, 30 km/sec or more. The BASH gun can fire at a rate of several Hertz, if desired. Features of the BASH gun are described, along with trade studies of performance and a 30 km/sec baseline design. Technical issues are discussed, including protection against high convective and radiative heat transfer rates.

Citation Download Citation

S. L. Bogart, J. R. Powell, T. J. Seed, C. F. Weggel, J. A. Dalessandro, J. Schuster, and S. F. Sedehi "Ballistic Acceleration By Superheated Hydrogen", Proc. SPIE 0871, Space Structures, Power, and Power Conditioning, (6 April 1988); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.943635

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