JOTP-011
5 December 2014
APPENDIX D. OPERATING TEST DESCRIPTIONS
ANNEX 2. COMPONENT LEVEL OPERATING TESTS
Munitions that have undergone sequential environmental testing require component level
assessment of energetic and pressure vessel components in order to estimate the probability and
effect of catastrophic failure during operational use. In addition to warheads and rocket motors,
other items may require these tests. Examples are gas generators, pressure vessels, or thermal
beacons which could burst during operation and present a hazard to personnel. See Appendix A,
Annex 2 for additional background and rationale.
D.2-1 ROCKET MOTOR STATIC FIRING.
Static firings are conducted to measure the internal operating pressure of rocket motors during
operational use. Guidance for this test may be found in ITOP 05-2-500.
a. The items should be temperature conditioned to -46 °C and the higher of +63 °C or the
unpackaged SRE temperature.
b.
Mount the item in an appropriate static firing stand.
c. Instrument item with pressure, force, strain, temperature, and vibration transducers as
required.
d. Static fire item and record internal operating pressure, thrust, strain, temperature, and
acceleration parameters as required.
e. Perform a post test inspection of the motor to check for `burn-through' of rocket motor
case, heat damage to nozzle/venturi and damage to thermal barrier (if present).
f. The probability of motor case rupture is estimated using the static firing and burst test
pressure data in the statistical method presented in Appendix G.
g. Margins of safety must be demonstrated between measured test data and measured or
analytical failure modes. If measured variable data indicate only small margins of safety exist,
further investigation or testing may be required.
D.2-2 ROCKET MOTOR BURST TESTS.
Burst tests are conducted to measure the pressure required to burst the rocket motor case under
conditions similar to actual firing. These tests are conducted at ambient temperature using the
hydrostatic burst test method described below.
a. Position the item in an appropriate restraining fixture and instrument with pressure
transducers to record the internal operating pressure.
D.2-1
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