Experimental research on igniting the aviation kerosene by reactive fragment

The damage effects of reactive fragment on full-filled fuel tank, including tank rupture and aviation kerosene ignition, was studied through ballistic experiment, and compared with the damage of the fuel tank subjected to a tungsten alloy fragment mass matched. The results show that the reactive fragment is able to perforate a 10 mm thick LY12 aluminium wall at 1 080 m/s and ignites the aviation kerosenes, but the tungsten alloy fragment penetrating into the tank at 1 643 m/s fails to ignite the fuel. The reactive fragment results in more damage on the fuel tank than the tungsten alloy fragment and improves the ignition ability to the aviation kerosene at normal temperature, mainly by its explosion effects and chemical energy release.