SOME EFFECTS OF AXIAL TEMPERATURE-GRADIENTS IN THE WALL OF A DETONATOR DELAY ELEMENT

We investigate theoretically the variation in the speed of a deflagrat ion wave as it travels down a detonator delay element when heat can fl ow axially in the metal wall of the element. The conductivity of the w all is finite so axial temperature gradients exist. We examine in part icular the temperature of the metal wall at the charge end of the dela y element as a function of the length of the delay element, as this co ntrols premature initiation of a detonation wave in the charge. The nu merical results are compared with a simplified analytical model.