Tutorials for 34th ISB

Boost your knowledge with these tutorial courses

The Education Committee (EC) is happy to announce the following six short courses at the upcoming 34th International Symposium on Ballistics (IBS) in Jacksonville (FL), USA:

Introductory 101 lectures 

Monday, 18th May, 2025, AM sessions (8 am to 12 pm)

• IB101: Introductory Interior Ballistics by MANCHAKATTIL SUCHEENDRAN, Mahesh from IIT Hyderabad, India
• EM101: Explosives Engineering by LIM, Bin from NMT, USA

Monday, 18th May, 2025, PM sessions (1 pm to 5 pm)

• EB101: Exterior Ballistics by WEY, Pierre from ISL, France
• TB101: Introductory Terminal Ballistics by BURKINS, Matthew from Burkins Consulting, USA

 

Advanced / specific 201 lectures

Friday, 23rd May, 2025, AM sessions (8 am to 12 pm)

• MT201: Hopkinson bar techniques for material characterization and component qualification under impact loading by SONG, Bo from Sandia National Laboratories, USA
• MT201: Ballistic properties of the UHMWPE fiber and its composites by WERFF, Harm and HEISSERER, Ulrich from Avient, NL

These courses will be organized by the Education Committee and facilitated by ASMII. Each attendee will receive PowerPoint slides distributed as a hardcopy.

Please note that course registration can only be made during online registration for the conference.

We look forward to your feedback and any questions you may have through sending an email to education@ballistics.org. 

Dr. Markus Graswald
Education Committee Chair



Objectives and contents of all tutorials offered 

IB101: Introductory Interior Ballistics by MANCHAKATTIL SUCHEENDRAN, Mahesh 
 
Course objectives:

• The fundamental aspects of interior ballistics will be covered. The basics of solid propellant technology will be covered
• The attendee will afterwards understand which design parameters influence the performance of a gun system and how the interior ballistician designs new charges for a gun system. 
• Enable attendees to better follow and utilize papers presented at Ballistic Conference sessions and / or to qualify for participating in advanced Interior Ballistic courses. 

 
Course contents: 

• Fundamentals and definitions: Linear burning rate, form functions, thermodynamic properties of reaction product gases (EOS), gas conversion rate / .
• Thermodynamic modeling of propellants: Noble-Abel-EOS, Virial-EOS and thermodynamic parameters; Foundations of the calculation of complex chemical equilibria; Available thermochemical codes
• Burn rate measurement: Closed bomb method; Data reduction and burn rate measurement Propellant and ammunition technology; Propellant geometries and form function formalism; Burn rate modification techniques (e.g., surface coating).
• Modeling interior ballistics of guns: Empirical and analytical solutions (e.g., LeDuc-model, constant breach pressure simulations); Lumped parameter models; Available interior ballistic codes.
• Example in charge design: Explain the basic steps of designing a new charge for an ammunition using the above introduced models and techniques; Demonstration of the basic steps of charge design on a fictional or historical system (instructor is free to choose a system).

 
 
EM101: Explosives Engineering by LIM, Bin 
 
Course objectives: 

• Shock Physics: Students will be able to learn 1) the basic of explosives engineering and 2) the mathematical analysis in term of calculation and prediction of explosives properties upon detonation.  In order to understand these subjects, a large portion of this class will focus on the Shock physics and the Rankine-Hugoniot jump equations followed by simple shock/impact property calculations. This subject will help to understand the detonation physics of explosives as well. 
• Explosives Engineering: Once the shock physics section is completed, more detailed engineering sides of explosives will present.  This includes, run distance, diameter effects, etc.  The engineering side of explosives heavily depends on the shock physics, and a smooth transition from shock physics to explosives engineering will present to provide the fundamental of the engineering behavior of explosives.
• Explosives Application: Once the two subjects above are completed, a simple explosives initiation system design and gurney equation will present in order to apply such subjects in real applications.

 
Course contents: 

• Intro to explosives: type of explosives, definitions/terms, explosives systems and devices, applications, analysis/approaches in engineering calculations.
• Rankine Hugoniot Jump Equations & Hugoniot Planes: why shock physics? Formation/Attenuation of shock, Fundamental of shock propagation, Shock vs Detonation, Application of shock physics, Conservation equations during shock propagation, Construction of Rankine-Hugoniot jump equations, Experimental method: Two-stage light gas gun/VISAR, Hugoniot planes and its use, CJ detonation and Detonation theory, Experimental construction of U-u Hugoniot, etc. 
• Explosives Engineering: Diameter effect, Pop-plot, Run-distance, Ideal vs non-ideal detonation, Prediction of explosives properties, Gurney equation, Rarefaction, Testing methods, Initiation location, etc. 
• Initiation System Design: design of slapper detonator using run-distance and Pop-plot.

 
 
EB101: Exterior Ballistics by WEY, Pierre 
 
Course objectives:

• Review of forces and moments acting on the projectile
• Summary of trajectory computation models, from vacuum to 6-DoF trajectory model
• Conditions for projectile stability

 
Course contents:

• Introduction
• Reference systems
• Forces and moments acting on the projectile
• Gravity and atmospheric models
• Trajectory computation: Vacuum trajectory model; Point mass model; Modified point mass model; 6 degrees-of-freedom model
• Numerical integration of the equations of motion
• Typical examples of trajectories
• Linearized angular motion and stability of the projectile 
• Elements of ballistic dispersion

 
 
TB101: Introductory Terminal Ballistics by BURKINS, Matthew 
 
Course objectives:

• Understand basic kinetic energy (KE) and chemical energy (CE) munition types & terminology 
• Understand strengths and weaknesses of different data collection and analysis methods 
• Understand basic interactions between munitions and armor materials

 
Course contents:

• Basic concepts and terminology: KE vs CE; Types of munitions (bullets, fragments, shaped charges, etc); Penetration vs perforation; Army/Navy/Protection Criteria; Material failure modes; Performance measures (Em, Es, WMR, etc)
• Measurement and Analysis: Data collection; Depth of Penetration (DOP); V50; Theta 50; PAD testing; VS-VR; Statistical concepts
• Materials: Military Specifications; Steel; Titanium; Aluminum; Ceramics

 
 
MT201: Hopkinson bar techniques for material characterization and component qualification under impact loading by SONG, Bo 
 
Course objectives

• To provide a basic understanding of Hopkinson bar techniques from design, operation to post-test data process
• To provide a guidance of split Hopkinson bar test design for different materials including metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and geomaterials
• To provide an extended application of Hopkinson bar technique to high-g, high-frequency qualification tests at component level

 
Course contents:

• Fundamentals and definitions: Introduction of century Hopkinson bar; Basic 1D wave propagation theory for Hopkinson bar analysis; Working principles of split Hopkinson bar techniques; General split Hopkinson bar design, operation, and data process
• Material test design: Dynamic stress-strain characterization (Brittle materials, Ductile materials, Soft materials); Dynamic fracture tests
• Component qualification test design: High-g, high-frequency qualification tests

 
 
MT201: Ballistic properties of the UHMWPE fiber and its composites by WERFF, Harm and HEISSERER, Ulrich 
 
Course objectives:

• Overview on potential and limitations of high-strength polymeric fibers for ballistic applications
• Material and ballistic testing of UHMWPE fibers and its composites
• Modeling possibilities and limitations of UHMWPE composites under ballistic impact

 
Course contents: 

• Overview on high strength polymeric fibers for ballistic armor
• UHMWPE single yarn ballistic impact: experiments and simulations
• Ballistic and mechanical testing of UHMWPE fiber composites
• Experimental results of ballistic experiments on UHMWPE composites
• Numerical modeling of ballistic impact on UHMWPE fiber composites: possibilities and limitations