System for measuring plate deformation produced by explosive shock waves, and motion-sensing accelerometer transducer used therein

A system embodying novel, motion-sensing accelerometer transducer means for measuring exceptionally high force levels in the domain of from about 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 Gs and also for facilitating measuring structural deformation and average velocity of such deformation of normally high strength structural panel means having planar surfaces, such as steel armor plate and the like as used on military tanks and other armored vehicles which are subject to close-by detonation of high energy explosive charges, such as land mines and the like, said system comprising in combination:

• a. selectively closeable and openable, principal electrical circuit means for measuring and obtaining evaluating data for computing desired measurements, said principal circuit means including wire conductor cable means with means for selectively connecting said cable means with a source of d.c. electrical current;
• b. said circuit means also including conductor cable terminal means adaptable to be connected to said structural means as a negative ground portion of said circuit;
• c. novel, motion-sensing accelerometer transducer means having body means, a plurality of metallic pin-like contact probes supported by said body means, said probes having respective first ends projecting freely from said body means so that said free ends are closely adjacent but at relatively slightly different distances from said planar surface of a structure whose deformation is to be sensed and measured, said first-end-spacings from said surface being such as to have at least two of said probe ends potentially contactable by the deforming surface;
• d. means for supporting said transducer means in a position closely adjacent the structural planar surface to be subjected to deformation;
• e. said principal electrical circuit means further including a plurality of electrical probe conductor wires each connected at one end respectively with a separate portion of said respective probes which separate portion is remote from said first free ends thereof, said probe conductor wires forming plural in-parallel subcircuits for each probe and respectively connected in said principal circuit means to be potentially activated by said electrical power source and plate-to-pin contact closure of the subcircuit;
• f. each of said in-parallel subcircuits including a resistance capacitor and fast-response electrical data measuring and recording means connected in series between said probe and said principal circuit conductor cable ahead of said means for selectively connecting it with the power source;
• g. whereby at least two of said in-parallel subcircuits are adapted to be closed when a said deformable structural surface is blast force deformed so as to make at least brief said electrical plate-to-pin contact with said corresponding at least two probes, and whereby the respective resistance capacitor is discharged to thereby instantaneously generate signal data for reading by display on said data measuring and recording means.