| Flamengro
(Fluid and Mechanical Engineering Group), a division of Armscor
Business, renders specialist engineering services like signal
processing, fluid flow- and structural integrity simulations.
The contribution of Flamengro is unique to South Africa, and
be readily compared with leading edge analysis capabilities
in the rest of the world.
Fluid flow and heat transfer are simulated with
mathematically based computer codes, also referred to as Computational
Fluid Dynamic (CFD) codes. The applicability to CFD codes
is wide ranging, but with CFD being a relatively new research
field (15 years or so), there are limitations regarding the
availability of general and robust techniques to simulate
the complex flow phenomenon associated with explosions and
projectile launch. For example, computer routines to predict
the transient flow inside the combustion chamber during projectile
launch, or the development of the cannon muzzle air flow field
as the projectile leaves the barrel, is not readily available
and have been developed locally. Another example is the development
of free surface tracking techniques, enabling the CFD user
to track bubble growth of an underwater explosion.
Similarly, structural analysis (by Finite Element
Method) is used to calculate stress, strain, displacement,
response, buckling, heat transfer, resonant frequencies, accelerations
etc. The contribution of Flamengro towards solutions in both
static- and dynamic finite element simulations is acknowledged
on several artillery systems, such as the G5 and Rooikat.
These contributions include ammunition development and complete
system response to dynamic field input. These simulations
provide valuable insight to the origins of problems and system
failures.
Recently, world interest moved to a requirement
for the capability of the single code environment to predict
fluid flow, heat flow and structural interaction simultaneously.
An example of such a calculation is the simulation of propellant
combustion in a chamber, the subsequent response of the projectile,
and it’s interaction with the barrel and weapon structure.
This ability is currently being developed at Flamengro.
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