Compressed Elastomer Process for Autofrettage and Lining Tubes
AssigneeUnited States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsRobert Hansbrough Carter, William Steinle DeRosset
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Abstract
An inventive process is provided for creating residual compressive stress at a surface of a structure without resort to custom mandrels and dangerous high-pressure fluids. The inventive process yields autofrettage of a structure such as a tube, gun barrel and the like, the structure having an outer surface and an inner surface.
Claims27
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A process for autofrettaging a gun barrel, the process comprising:
- providing a gun barrel having an outer surface, an inner surface and an inner diameter;
- providing an elastomer expander dimensioned and shaped to be inserted within the inner diameter of the gun barrel;
- placing the elastomer expander within the gun barrel;
- placing end caps at least partially within the gun barrel so as to bound the elastomer expander within the gun barrel;
- providing a hydraulic compression system having at least one hydraulic cylinder;
- applying an axial compressive force onto the expander using the at least one hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic compression system, the axial compressive force inducing predominantly elastic strain on the outer surface of the gun barrel and elastic plus plastic strain on the inner surface of the gun barrel such that a residual compressive stress is present at the inner surface of the gun barrel when the applied axial compressive force is removed from the opposite ends of the elastomer solid form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.