오늘 주제는 땅크의 발사 원리임.
영어단어 몰?루 는 게 많아서 형광펜 치고 사전 찾아가면서 봐야함 힝힝
A tank’s main gun works in similar principle to any firearm:
Rounds are loaded into the chamber. A primer ignites a larger charge, which then creates really high pressure behind the projectile. The projectile leaves the barrel travelling high speed. The primary differences come about because the munition is so much larger than other firearms.
Unlike many semi-automatic and automatic weapons, the main gun in tanks are usually of such a large caliber that each round is individually loaded. Some tanks have a manual loading system, some have auto-loaders. In the Marine Corps (which uses the M1A1), the standard is that the Marine loader must be able to transfer and load a HEAT round (the heaviest/most awkward round we use ~50 lbs), and arm the gun in under 5 seconds.
The other reason that tanks do not store ammunition in a magazine right next to the chamber (called the breech in a tank) is safety. Tank rounds are super dangerous:
The propellant is highly combustible and it is encased in a combustible cartridge case (some tanks don’t use combustible casing, which makes the ammo more stable, but they are then left with a huge casing after firing, which has its own problems).
General Dynamics solved this problem in the M1A1 by storing the ammo in the turret in an ammunition compartment. The compartment is designed to detonate upwards and away from the crew if any of the ammunition is compromised.
Smaller weapons create exhaust and fumes, but usually do not produce enough that they can harm the operator. The exception to this might be the use of automatic weapons in enclosed spaces, which will need proper venting. The length of the barrel and the large quantity of gasses created when firing the main gun presents a unique challenge on tanks to vent. Almost all modern tank barrels have a piece called the Bore Evacuator. This is not a way to escape the tank via the gun tube, but rather a device that allows noxious gas to escape out of the end of the gun tube. James Pearson's answer to How does the fume extractor on tank guns work?
Another effect that must be considered with such large ammunition is recoil. The main gun on the tank must be properly dampened or firing the gun will cause damage to the rest of the tank. Indeed, if the dampening system becomes damaged, the gun can come out of battery and kill crew members.
The last portion to discuss is the projectile itself.
The picture above is not the M829 Sabot used in M1 Series, but it is a Saboted piece of ammo (I have no idea what it is). This simply means that the diameter of the projectile is smaller than that of the gun tube. The parts that ‘break-away’ from the projectile are called ‘sabot-petals’ and they guide the projectile down the center of the barrel until it leaves.
This is the first type of ammunition that tanks use. It is called a kinetic energy round. The science shows that when you take a super dense and heavy object (like a depleted uranium dart) and fire it at really high speeds (~2000 meters/second), really cool and deadly stuff happens when it runs into other tanks.
Primarily, the kinetic energy in the round is converted into heat, pressure, and death as it then enters the opposing vehicle. Crew members are killed by the heat and pressure of the round, as well as the ‘spalling’ of their own tank as its armor fails from the round.
Another type of common ammunition is the Chemical Energy Round. This round is a large shape-charge that is sent at relatively lower speeds (~1500 meters/second) and is normally activated by a fuse once it strikes the target. The fuse initiates a reaction using an inverted copper cone and the “Monroe Effect” to turn the copper cone into a plasma jet, which then defeats armor through heat and energy.
Also worth mentioning are the computers that most modern tanks have. Targeting systems are very advanced and use range finders and newtonian physics to add lead, correct for distance, cant, and even windage. There are also complex gyroscope systems which stabilize the gun and allow the tank to fire on the move.
I feel bad for the gunner’s face in that tank.
