Electro-thermal-chemical gun

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An electro-thermal-chemical gun ( ETC gun ) is a further development of the guns currently in use , which obtain the energy to accelerate a projectile from the burning of a propellant powder . ETC guns were the subject of research in the 1990s and 2000s. In the 2010s, the focus shifted to energy weapons such as LaWS laser systems for ships.

Graphic representation of the system

Structure and functionality

The basic structure of an ETC gun differs only slightly from that of conventional guns . The most important differences are the changed design of the cartridges and the presence of an electrical energy source. A wire is inserted in the longitudinal axis of the cartridge and is connected to the energy source by two electrodes in the cartridge case.

In contrast to the guns used so far, the propellant charge of an ETC gun is not ignited by a primer or a small ignition charge, but by feeding electrothermal energy into the powder . If a sufficiently high current is passed through the wire in the cartridge, it heats up and evaporates, the resulting plasma then ignites the propellant charge, which drives the bullet through the barrel due to the gas pressure created during combustion .

advantages

By heating and vaporizing the wire in the propellant charge, it is ignited along the entire length of the cartridge case and not just at the bottom of the case as with conventional guns. This results in a more uniform course of the gas pressure curve and thus an increased precision of the weapon. Furthermore, the powder can be brought to an optimal temperature before the actual ignition, which simplifies the calculation of the bullet's trajectory. Finally, by introducing hydrogen-containing substances into the propellant charge, the molecular mass of the powder gases can be reduced, resulting in a higher muzzle velocity (see also light gas cannon ).

literature

  • Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow: Concepts - Systems - Technologies. Motorbuchverlag, edition: 1 (December 6, 2007), ISBN 978-3-613-02793-0

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ globalsecurity.org: Electrothermal-Chemical (ETC) Gun System ( Memento from April 20, 2009 in the Internet Archive )