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Pyrotechnic Device Evaluation

The headshot image of Heather F. Riley

Heather F. Riley

Jun 10, 2015
Article

With over two decades of extensive research and development in pyrotechnic testing, White Sands Test Facility has expertise in evaluating pyrotechnic devices, developing and testing advanced pyrovalve technologies, and investigating nondestructive evaluation techniques to inspect pyrotechnically induced explosions both through testing and modeling.

Commonly used in launch vehicles, tactical missiles, cargo and parachute deployment, and payload release mechanisms, a pyrotechnic device is a one-time use type of cutter.  Activated by an electric signal, a small explosive charge within the device fires creating a high-speed, shearing effect that severs electrical circuits, opens or closes a valve, or releases and separates bolted connections and joints.

Configurations and Testing
The Propellant Interaction Test System, located in our Hazardous Fluids Test Area, can test potential pyrotechnic interaction with most common rocket engine propellants. Propellants can also be saturated with gaseous nitrogen and helium to simulate space flight conditions. The combined effects of hot pyrotechnic blow-by and adiabatic compressive heating can be evaluated in simulated propellant system configurations.

Frangible Joint Test System located in our High Pressure Test Area evaluates the performance of frangible joints. High speed image capture techniques including digital image correlation and high speed instrumentation are used to determine the velocity at which the frangible joint separates and the effects of any flaws or manufacturing anomalies on its performance.

Frangible joints have the potential to replace the current configuration of pyrotechnic devices used to separate the different stages of a rocket. Current separation devices send out debris that could be damaging to spacecraft and also cause excessive vibration that may damage to hardware aboard the vehicle. In contrast, frangible joints do not send out shrapnel and do not cause the same level of vibration. Several centers across NASA are working together through the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to research this new technology for use in manned space flight with White Sands Test Facility pyrotechnic group leading the way.
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