An exploding foil multi-point synchronous initiation system was designed to achieve directional output of a warhead. Six columns of initiation points were uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the warhead, with each column containing four exploding foil initiators (EFIs) connected in series, resulting in a total of 24 initiation points. The initiation synchronization under two control modes—"independent dual-loop control" and "single-loop parallel control"—was comparatively analyzed. In the "independent dual-loop control" mode, one switch controls one circuit, and the two circuits are independent of each other. In the "single-loop parallel control” mode, one switch controls two parallel circuits. Results indicated that the synchronization performance of the “single loop parallel control” mode was significantly superior to that of the "independent dual-loop control" mode. In the "independent dual-loop control" mode, the dominant factor affecting initiation synchronization was the switching performance, whereas in the “single loop parallel control” mode, the primary factor was the resistance disparity among the parallel circuits. Using a self-constructed experimental test platform based on the "break-trigger method" data on the initiation synchronization and the minimum firing voltage of the EFIs driving HNS (hexanitrostilbene) charges were obtained for both control modes. Furthermore, the output capability of the initiation system was numerically verified using the nonlinear finite element software LS-DYNA, in which the delay times of each initiation point were set according to the experimentally measured values. The numerical simulation results demonstrated that under the synchronous action of two columns of EFIs, the detonation waves in the main charge of the warhead converged directionally. The detonation pressure in this directional region was significantly higher than that in other regions, thereby driving the fragments in that direction to attain a higher initial velocity. Both experimental and simulation results confirm the feasibility of the designed multi-point EFI initiation system, providing a technically advantageous approach for achieving directional output in warheads. This paper investigated the synchronization of in-line multi-point exploding foil initiation arrays for directional warheads and analyzed the factors affecting multi-point initiation synchronization under two operational configurations. The feasibility of the in-line multi-point exploding foil initiation system was validated through a combination of simulation and experimentation, thereby providing a technically advantageous approach for achieving directional warhead output. • A six-column in-line multi-point initiation system with a total of twenty-four initiation points was designed. • Switch delay characteristics and circuit electrical parameter variations were identified as the primary factors affecting synchronization. • The feasibility of the in-line multi-point exploding foil initiation system was validated through experiments and numerical simulations.
Ning et al. (Sun,) studied this question.