Study on the efficiency of rarefaction wave gun reduction of recoil based on two-phase flow theory

The rarefaction wave gun (RAVEN) overcomes the problem that conventional guns cannot achieve both power and mobility by virtue of its unique firing mechanism. Its most significant advantage is that it reduces the recoil of the gun by utilizing the forward momentum generated by the rearward spray of gas in the barrel. Based on the firing principle of the RAVEN and the Euler–Euler two-phase flow theory, this paper establishes a two-phase flow model within the barrel and a flow model including the external flow field after the barrel opens, with the time it takes for the inertial breech of the RAVEN to open as the dividing point. Using user-defined functions and profile files, the data transfer between the models was completed. The firing process of the RAVEN was numerically simulated using the fluid simulation software Ansys Fluent, and the efficiency of recoil reduction of the RAVEN was obtained through calculation. The effects of various gun parameters on the efficiency of recoil reduction of the RAVEN were studied, providing a theoretical foundation for the optimization of the internal ballistics parameters of the RAVEN and the in-depth study of recoil reduction.