Modeling and Simulation of Engraving and Gun Launch of a 40-mm Sensor Grenade

The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey is developing an inert 40-mm sensor grenade, which houses an array of sensors and electronic components. This grenade is intended to be fired from a hand-held launcher and once deployed, relay sensor information back to the user. To accomplish this task, the internal electronic components must be structurally housed and guarded from impact induced g-levels. Also, radio transmitting components within the grenade require unimpeded ability to transmit radio frequency signal, thus prohibiting the use of conductive metallic materials in the grenades design. These unique design requirements create significant challenges for engineers developing the projectile. Throughout the development process, the need to redesign existing components or incorporate completely new components into the system periodically occurs. Before any prototype production or initial testing conducted to determine the performance and survivability of the new component in the operational environment. This technical report details the finite element simulation of, specifically, the grenade pusher a separate sabot-like component and the engraving band on the grenade body. The results of the simulation give a prediction of the projectile response during the engraving and gun launch events as well as an indication of the overall structural integrity of grenade components.