Larry P Ingram

US Patent:

44346557, Mar 6, 1984

Filed:

Mar 8, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/355816

Inventors:

Martin Summerfield - Princeton NJ
Neale A. Messina - Pennington NJ
Larry S. Ingram - Cranbury NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01L 514

US Classification:

73167

Abstract:

A black powder flamespread tester is disclosed in which powder to be qualed is packed in a sample tube provided with a plurality of sight holes. Light sensors are disposed adjacent each sight hole and emit signals upon flame front passage of the sight hole. The sample tube is removably secured to an ignition head which contains an electrically actuated pyrotechnic squib. The squib discharges gases into a transition chamber from which the gases pass through orifices in an orifice plate, through a void volume into the black powder bed, which ignites the black powder. The ignition head is removably secured to a tester chamber in which the sample holder is received. Light sensors are housed in a separate fin which is removably received in an aperture in the tester chamber wall. After the squib gas ignites the powder bed, the output signal of each light sensor increases to saturation as the flame front passes its respective sight hole. The output signal from each light sensor is conditioned and summed to form one output signal.