Development of combustion two-stage light gas gun

The two-stage light gas gun has been the predominant tool in hypervelocity-related research. Due to the high compression rate of light gases, such as hydrogen and helium, the compressed gas reaches extreme pressure and temperature levels, measured in thousands of bars and Kelvins. This enables the acceleration of projectiles to speeds up to 7 km/s. Considering the general orbiting velocity of around 7 km/s in low Earth orbit, the velocity range of the gun proves to be suitable. It is not an overstatement to emphasize the significant role played by the two-stage gas gun in enhancing safety considerations for extreme conditions, including space and military applications, even though its operational process is more time-consuming compared to conventional guns. However, to simulate impacts in deep space and re-entry, a higher impact velocity is essential. To address this need for increased velocity, gun systems equipped with a third stage have been introduced, allowing projectiles to reach speeds exceeding 10 km/s. However, operating these systems is more demanding due to the additional stage. In this study, we propose a two-stage gun system that utilizes compressed hydrogen-oxygen combustion for the first stage, aiming to strike a balance between enhanced performance and operational efficiency.