Computer Modeling and Structuraland Parametric Optimization of the Artillery Gun Barrel with Non-circular Cross Section

The article presents the results of modeling longitudinal and transverse vibrations of the artillery gunbarrel with a non-circular cross section being loaded with internal pressure and thermal effects of powder gases. The barrel shape was taken into account by means of the inertia moments of the barrel cross sections and internal forces. An algorithm for structural and parametric optimization of the barrel geometry has been developed. The external barrel diameters, the cutoutdiameters and the distances from the center of the cross section to the center of the cutout in key cross sections are selected as controlled variables. Theoscillation amplitude obtained on the basis of mathematical modeling of firing in bursts is chosen as the target function of the optimization problem. The limitations of the optimization problem were: the mass and strength of the barrel specified by the wall thickness according to the maximum strain theory. A software package for modeling vibrations and optimizing barrel shape has been developed. Implementing OpenGL technology, a three-dimensional visualization of the shot was implemented. Based on the results of modeling the classical barrel, the vibrationamplitude was determined, which constituted to 915.6 microns. It is shown that the difference in amplitudes with and without thermal conductivity is less than 11%, which is insignificant when estimating vibrations. Changing the barrel shape without optimizing its geometric dimensions makes it possible to reduce the amplitude of vibrations by 9.7%. Optimization of the classical barrel made it possible to reduce the amplitude of vibrations by 72.2% from 915.6 microns to 254.4 microns. Stiffeners of type 1 reduce the amplitude by 73.5% to 242.1 microns, type 2 - by 73.6% to 241.6 microns. The greatest effect is achieved for a barrel with 3 stiffeners of type 2.