Combustion, Explosion, and Shock Waves, Vol. 34, No.

1, 1998

Throwing of Fire-Extinguishing Powder Jets from Barrels

V. D. Zakhmatov, I V. L. Tsikanovskii, 1 UDC 531.571/572+62-492.2

a n d A . S. K o z h e m y a k i n 1

Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 106-110, January-February, 1998.
Original article submitted November 30, 1996; revision submitted May 22, 1997.

T i m e variations o f c u r r e n t values o f t h e velocity a n d p r o p a g a t i o n d i s t a n c e o f t h e f r o n t

o f a g a s - p o w d e r j e t a r e s t u d i e d as f u n c t i o n s of t h e r a t i o of masses of t h e p o w d e r c h a r g e
a n d t h e e j e c t e d f i r e - e x t i n g u i s h l n g c o m p o s i t i o n . T h r e e m e c h a n i s m s of p r o p a g a t i o n o f a
p u l s e d g a s - p o w d e r j e t are e s t a b l i s h e d . A n o p t i m u m r a n g e of mass r a t i o s is o b t a i n e d
t h a t p r o v i d e s for m a x i m n m values o f t h e p r o p a g a t i o n d i s t a n c e of t h e g a s - p o w d e r j e t
for barrels o f various calibers a n d l e n g t h s .

At present, a number of constructions of multi-
barreled fire-extinguishing installations, for exam-
ple a 50-barreled "IMPULS-3" installation on tank
wheels, are used in practice. More than 15 such in-
stallations are successfully operating in the terri-
tory of l~ussia and Ukraine. They outperform the
most perfect specimens of traditional pneumatic and
hydraulic fire-extinguishing machines in power and
fire-extinguishing efficiency. However, extinguishing
of large fires, for example, forest or industrial fires,
requires further improvement of characteristics of
throwing of fire-extinguishing powder jets.
Methods of the mechanics of multiphase media
[1, 2] are most suitable for theoretical description of
a pulsed gas-powder jet formed during ejection of a
powder from a barrel. However, significant difficul-
ties in the mathematical modeling of a steady two-
phase flow, in particular the absence of exact data
on interaction of the flow phases with one another
and with the ambient media, prevent developing a
correct model of the process considered. Zakhmatov
[3] gives results of investigations of throwing pow-
ders from relatively short (length L / D <. 10) tubes
of calibers D = 100, 130, and 200 ram. In the ex-
periments described here standard artillery barrels
of calibers D = 76, 100, 122, 152, and 203 nun of
length L / D = 10-35 were used to throw powders.
Standard cases for powder charges were charged
with a "Pirant-A" extinguishing powder with par-
1Engineering-Technological Institute, Cherkassy 257006,
Ukraine.
ticle sizes of 20-50 /~m (see Table 1). Propellant
charges were made of a DRP-1 black powder. The
charges were ignited by standard primers that are
used in artillery cartridge cases. A charge was placed
at the bottom of a case and isolated by a paper and
Porolon wad 20 mm thick. The extinguishing powder
was poured above, and the case was covered with a
wad. The gun was charged by the conventional blank
shot scheme. The gun was located on an even con-
crete a r e a .
The current parameters of the gas-powder jet
were determined from film records. The camera was
located perpendicular to the jet trajectory at the
same height as the barrel - - at 1.5 m above the con-
crete coating. Scale benchmarks 2 m high placed 5 m
apart were used to determine distances. Five exper-
iments were performed on each barrel.
The curves presented in Fig. l a begin at
62.5 msec after the shot, because precisely from this
moment it is possible to determine with the required
accuracy the flow velocity by film records. It is not
possible to analyze the character of variation in the
flow velocity at times ~ < 62.5 rnsec because over
most of this period of time, the flow moves in a gun
barrel of length 3.5 m.
Figure la and b shows time variations of the cur-
rent velocity and propagation distance of the front
of the gas-powder jet as functions of the mass ra-
tio I~ -" re~M, where M is the mass of the ejected
fire-extinguishing composition and m is the mass of
the powder charge. This run of experiments was per-
formed on barrels of caliber 100 ram.

0010-5082/98/3401-0097 $20.00 (~) 1998 Plenum PublishingCorporation 97

98 Z a k h m a t o v , TsikRnovskil, a n d K o z h e m y a k i n

TABLE 1
Caliber of barrel, mm 76 I00 122 122 152 152 203
Length of barrel (in calibers) 25 35 10 30 20 30 15
Mass of f i r v - e x t ~ powder, kg S 10 15 15 20 20 20
Maximum propagation distance
of a gas-powder jet, m 13 30 18 29 34 40 33
Maximum jet diameter, m 0.5 0.8 1.2 1 1.5 1.1 1.5

F i g . 1. T i m e variation of c u r r e n t values of t h e p r o p a g a t i o n velocity (a) a n d dlstance (b) of the front of a g a s - p o w d e r jet

at ~ = 0.091 (I), 0.04o (2), 0.0~ (s), ~ a 0.021 (4).

Analysis of the data using the theoretical me-
chanics of multiphase media [2, 3] leads to the fol-
lowing explanation of the dependences obtained. At
p - 0.021, the formation of a gas-powder jet [mix-
ing of the phases and energy exchange - - penetration
of the gas phase of gunpowder combustion products
into the dispersed phase (fire-extinguishing powder)
and acceleration of the dispersed phase by the gas
phase] is completed in the barrel because immedi-
ately behind the muzzle, the velocity of the gas-
powder jet begins to decrease. The uniform structure
and relatively low initial velocity of the gas-powder
jet are responsible for the small propagation distance
of the jet.
An increase in the value of # to 0.033 changes
the propagation process of the gas-powder jet. Be-
hind the muzzle, the velocity of the jet front con-
tinues to increase insignificantly for 0.03 sec. Then,
the jet velocity decreases for 0.4 sec, and finally the
jet ceases to move and breaks up. A cocurrent jet,
whose velocity is much lower and decreases with dis-
tance from the front, remains behind the moving
front, whose motion ceases at a distance not farther
than 20 m away from the muzzle. Analysis of the
film records suggests that the jet front consists of
the powder mass formed by pressing of the powder
by the shock wave in the barrel. Behind the muzzle,
the cocurrent gas-powder jet, containing the high-
velocity gas-phase, accelerates the compacted pow-
der front up to the moment of equalization of the
velocities of the front and the cocurrent jet. In flight,
the jet front is intensely disrupted by the mechanism
of aerodynamic ~roughlng" of the surface layers of
the jet front. This process is similar to the mecha-
nism of breakup of a falling drop in a counter air
upflow [2]. In the final stage of the jet flight, the jet
front completely breaks up, its diameter increases
by a factor of 1.5-2, and abrupt deceleration of the
front occurs. This effect can be explained by loss of
the aerodynamic stability of the jet front and pene-
tration of the air jets inside the powder front, which
causes its rapid destruction, spread, and decelera-
tion.
For /~ - 0.04, the velocity of the front of the
pressed-powder conglomerates increases for 0.1 sec,
a time interval much longer than in the previous case.
The time of existence and the propagation distance
of the conglomerate are also 1.5 times larger than
T h r o w i n g o f F i r e - E x t i n g u i s h i n g P o w d e r J e t s f r o m Barrels 99

in the previous case. This can be explained by the

denser and aerodynamically more stable structure of
the powder conglomerate. The intensity of aerody-
namic destruction of the conglomerate and the de-
crease in velocity and transverse dimensions of the
flow are much smaller than in the previous case.
For/~ - 0.091, the character of the flow prop-
agation changes abruptly. Immediately behind the
muzzle, the velocity begins to decrease abruptly,
and aerodynamic destruction of the gas-powder jet
occurs. Several small powder conglomerates rather
than a jet with a continuous front are ejected from
the barrel, followed by a gas-powder jet without
a compacted front. The small conglomerates are
rapidly disrupted, leaving, on their flight path, a nar-
row, rapidly breaking gas-powder jet.
The dense jet that leaves the barrel after the
conglomerates rapidly decelerates, breaks up, and in-
creases in diameter. Figure la shows the variation in
the front velocity of this jet. It is assumed that even
F i g . 2. The propagation distance of the gas-powder jet ver-
in the barrel the strong shock wave partially forces sus the value o f . for barrels of various length L and var-
its way into the powder mass. The above-mentioned ious calibers D : I) D = 152 n u n a n d L/D = 30; 2) D =
small conglomerates form on the tips of gunpowder 152 m m a n d LID = 20; 3) D = 122 m m a n d LID = 30;
gas jets that break through the powder mass. 4) D = I00 m r n a n d L/D = 35; 5) D = 203 m m and

Thus, the character of propagation of these jets
suggests the presence of at least three mechanisms
of propagation of a pulsed gas-powder jet.
The first mechanism is a relatively low-velocity
jet, which "pours out" of the barrel. This jet is char-
acterized by the absence of a front of powder con-
glomerate compacted by the shock wave in the bar-
rel. Therefore, at just the muzzle, the jet vigorously
breaks up and decelerates under the action of aero-
dynamic drag. A jet of this type propagates parallel
to the burning surface, covers a considerable area,
and deposits on it a uniform layer of the powder,
without disturbing (turbulizing) the surface of the
burning material. This mechanism is most efficient
in extinguishing the spread of burning liquids.
The second mechanism is distinguished by the
presence of a shock wave of optimum intensity. In the
barrel, this wave ensures pressing of the powder into
a conglomerate stable to aerodynamic action. This
effect offers the following advantages:
protection of the jet from aerodynamic destruc-
tion and deceleration, which stabilizes deceleration
and breakup of the jet;
- -increase in the range and area of the fire-
extinguishing or other protective action according to
[4], where it is shown that the functional action of a
powder flow is ensured primarily by the flow front.
The main indirect characteristic of the action of the
front is the character of deposition of the powder
over the area of action.
L/D = 15; 6) D = 122 m m a n d L/D = I0; 7) D = 76 m m
and LID = 25.
Such long-range gas-powder jets have a univer-
sal fire-extinguishing effect - - they can produce elon-
gated, flat, isolating barriers (gas-powder media),
which fill given limited volumes. Such jets with a
powerful compacted front are best suited for extin-
guishing complex burning surfaces, where it is nec-
essary to ensure deposition of a host of particles of a
fire-extinguishing composition with penetration into
the hot charred surface of the burning material.
The third mechanism is distinguished by the
most intense breakup and deceleration of the gas-
powder jet. The breakup of the powder cylinder ap-
pears to begin even in the barrel where the jet of
gunpowder gases breaks through the powder layer.
Therefore, at the muzzle, a gas-powder jet forms
without a compacted front and with a consider-
able volume portion of the carrier gas phase. The
jet structure and propagation mechanism are closer
to the first mechanism, but in contrast to the first
mechanism, the jet behind the muzzle is subjected
not only to aerodynamic but also to internal gas-
dynamic disruption. As a result, this mechanism is
characterized by the most intense breakup and de-
celeration of the jet. Because of the high propaga-
tion velocity, considerable store of kinetic energy,
and, supposedly, multivortex structure (gas jets with
100 Z a k h m a t o v , Tsikanovskil, a n d K o z h e m y a k i n

a small volume portion of powder, small powder that provides for maximum propagation distances of
conglomerates, a gas-powder jet with a large vol- gas-powder jets. This range is valid for barrels of var-
ume portion of powder), this inhomogeneous un- ious calibers and lengths. The duration of propaga-
steady gas-powder jet is best suited for volume fire- tion, aerodynamic disruption, and transformation of
extinguishing or explosion prevention, especially in a gas-powder jet into a motionless gas-powder cloud
limited volumes. does not exceed 0.5-0.6 sec. This index is valid for
Figure 2 shows the distance of jet propagation various masses of powders. These results allow one to
versus the value of # on barrels of various lengths and optimize the process of developing gas-powder jets
calibers. Evidently, the range p = 0.04-0.08 is opti- and to determine the time of their functional action.
mum, and the optimum value of p increases with in-
crease in caliber. With increase in the barrel length,
the distance of jet propagation increases markedly REFERENCES
and the optimum value of p increases to a smaller 1. R. I. Nigmatulin, Dynamics of Multiphase Media,
extent. This suggests that an increase in the mass Hemisphere Publ., New York (1991).
of the ejected powder a11d the time of interaction 2. A. I. Ivandaev, A. G: Kutnshev, and 1l. I. Nigmat-
of gunpowder gases and the ejected powder in the ulin, "Numerical investigation of the dispersion of a
barrel increases the aerodynamic stability of the jet cloud of dispersed particles or drops under the ac-
front - - the longevity of the jet in flight. tion of an explosion, ~ Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Mekh.
Zhidk. Gaza, No. 1, 82-90 (1962).
Analysis of results of [3] using the theoretical 3. V. D. Zakhrn~,.tov, "Pulsed jet gas--dispersed flow,"
mechanics of multiphase media [1, 2] suggests the fol- Fiz. Goreniya Vzryva, 30, No. 3, 69-75 (1994).
lowing mechanism for the formation and propagation 4. V. D. Zakhmatov, "Dependence of the flow rate
of a fire-extinguishing two-phase gas-powder jet. Un- of fire-extinguishing compositions on the method of
der impact of a shock wave in the relaxation zone supply, ~ in: Multiphase Flows (Collected scientific
(behind the leading jump of parameters), the pow- papers) [in Russian], Aviation Institute, Khax'kov
der mass is gradually heated and involved in move- (1988), pp. 66-73.
ment. The powder gases are decelerated in this case.
The dynamic and thermal disturbances produced by
particles in the carrier gas phase overtake the lead-
ing shock edge of the gas, which travels through the
powder mass, and extinguish it. If the powder mass
in the barrel is imagined as a number of layers, the
gas wave passes through each powder layer only par-
tially, as if through a semipermeable wall. During
penetration of the powder gases, the powder mass
accelerates and a two-phase homogeneous jet forms.
When the flow leaves the barrel, part of the explo-
sion products overtake the flow and form a shock gas
front, which is followed by a cocurrent, gas-powder
flow. The shock front rapidly slows down under the
action of aerodynamic drag. The gas-powder flow
initially sustains the gas front, and then overtakes it.
After equalization of the velocities of the powder par-
ticles and the gas particles, the latter, being smaller,
lose velocity more rapidly and lag behind. Now the
powder frame of the flow acts on the gas wave like
a supporting semipermeable piston. Only from this
point does the counter air flow penetrate inside the
jet, displacing the gunpowder gases and decelerating
the flow. But this penetration and deceleration pro-
ceed much more slowly than in a powder jet without
a carrier gas phase.
Thus, in the present paper it is shown that there
is an optimum range of mass ratios of a propellant
charge and an ejected fire-extinguishing composition