Computational Design of a Simple Flyer Plate Launcher

The response of materials to shock loading is important to understand for a variety of applications. When shock physics emerged during and after WWII, direct explosive loading or explosively driven plate impact was the primary tool for these studies. Subsequent decades have seen the widespread use of large caliber guns for plate impact studies, laser-shock facilities, and pulsed power facilities. INL currently lacks a gun suitable for plate impact or explosives casting and machining facilities; however, it does possess explosives use and handling capabilities. An option for performing plate impact experiments was needed. Therefore, continuum scale models were utilized to explore a few simple donor-acceptor explosive plane wave lens designs, one of which could be hand packed with plastic explosives to launch flyer plates. 2D simulations were performed to study different geometries in an effort to minimize the difference in shock arrival across the central portion of a small copper flyer plate. A shock wave arrival time difference under 50 ns across 50% of the center of the flyer was achieved with a few designs. This work summarizes the computational models and results.