O-036 Best Practices for IM Testing

NIMIC sponsored an international workshop on IM Testing in Brussels on 20-23 May 1997. One of the study groups within this workshop was tasked with reviewing instrumentation needs for full scale testing of munitions when they are subjected to the various IM Stimuli. This study group consisted of thirteen experts having direct experience with IM testing within the NIMIC nations. The paper presents findings and recommendations made by the group relative to instrumentation needs for measuring the input parameters (stimulus to which the test article is being subjected) and the output parameters (responses to the stimuli) that characterize how the reaction of the test article disturbs its surroundings. Although these results apply specifically to the IM test for Fast Heating, Slow Heating and Sympathetic Reaction, they also have broader applicability to all IM testing. Instrumentation Requirements were specified, by test, to cover a Minimum Requirement, a Recommended Set of measurements and Other Desired measurements. The recommendations also include High Speed Photography/Video, the need for a common time base marker and zero time indications on all recorded instrumentation and cinelvideo and required pretest calibration shots, particularly for blast gauges and pressure measurements. The issue of propulsiveness was addressed and recommendations for several alternative techniques to either measure thrust or movement of the test article to determine propulsiveness were established.