Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept.

1216, 2011

1325

Research on High Voltage Electrostatic Discharge to EED and Fuze

Tuan Zhao, Lixia Wang, Qingmei Feng, Hongzhi Yao, and Xiangfei Ji
State key Laboratory of Applied Physics-Chemistry
Shaanxi Applied Physics-Chemistry Research Institute, Xian 710061,China

Abstract In this the paper, by setting up the high voltage electrostatic discharge systems
composed of 300 kV, 1000 pF, 1 and so on, that the simulating test about electrostatic discharge
of helicopter air supplying is mainly discussed. In this system, it is six levels of electrostatic
sensitivity for fuse (which do not bear passing-explode tubes and expanding drug) and for EED
(electro-explosive devices), with charging voltage from 50 kV to 300 kV including positive polarity
and negative polarity that may be tested. At present, the related testing research on calibrated
resistance of 100 has been made.
1. INTRODUCTION

EEDs are not only absolutely necessary igniting and blasting components in special power, but
also the most dangerous and susceptive subsystems in weapon systems. They are widely used
not only in the fuse of engine of rocket, missile and roll booster impetus but in spreading of twodoubles wing, self-damage setting and explosive bolt and so on. The safety and reliability of whole
weapons system are directly decided by the safety and the reliability of EED. The research on
anti-electrostatic technology of EED is in the demand of development of science and technology of
military affairs, and is the important part of improving safety and the reliability of weapon system.
So it is attached important to home and abroad.
With the development of science of military affairs, in the future, the war will be in the capacious
field of solid. Because electron antagonism, electromagnetic interference, microwave weapon etc
will make the electromagnetic field of astrospace become more and more strong. At the same
time, with the change appearance of the transportation and the logistic safeguard of weapon [1],
the highly insulted materials and the costume of chemical fiber are also indispensable for the
weapon equipment and the persons attending a war. In order to ensure that the EED are immune
to danger of electromagnetic and to avoid invalidation and improper action, the simulative test
of EED against electromagnetic environment hazard is of importance, of which, the simulative
electrostatic sensitivity test for EED is more vital, which insure the safety and the reliability of
EED against electromagnetic environment hazard.
In our nation, since seventies of last century, such special apparatuses as instrument of electrostatic sensitivity of EED, instrument of electrostatic sensitivity of powder and instrument of electrostatic accumulating of powder have been completely manufactured. At the same time, the test
of electrostatic sensitivity of EED has been developed, the test with the capacitance of 500 25 pF
having voltage charged of 2500 kV, the serial resistance of 5000250 . In the test, the electrostatic
sensitivity of EEDs leg-leg or leg-shell may be tested by Bruceton method. Then, according to the
result of test, the electrostatic sensitivity of EED, namely the firing average voltage and criterion
may be calculated. In later of eighties of last century, GJB736.11-90 [5] (method of EED test, EED
determining electrostatic sensitivity), WJ1869-89 (method of EED test, powder determining electrostatic sensitivity), JGB737.3-89 (method of EED test, column of powder and surface resistance
determining electrostatic sensitivity) and WJ2018-91 (method of EED test, powder accumulating
electrostatic sensitivity) are successfully set down. Such methods have met the demand of hazard
of electrostatic from human body to EED but not in the demand of hazard of electrostatic from
aerial supply to EED.
In the nineties of last century, the test simulating electrostatic discharge of helicopter was
brought forward, because of the change appearance of transportation and logistic safeguard of
weapon, the test of electrostatic sensitivity confined to simulating static of human body does not
meet the demand of actual war, especially, in aerial transportation of weapon. With the speed
of transportation growing up, and the conveyances charged up by atmosphere or thundercloud in
interspaces, the new hazard of electrostatic power to EED appears. So, the test that simulate electrostatic of aerial transportation of weapon will be new one subject. So, the electrostatic discharge
test technique simulated aerial supply have been studied since 2003 in our research institute.

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2. ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE TEST OF AERIAL SUPPLY TO FUSES SYSTEM

In the nineties of last century, the test simulating electrostatic discharge of helicopter was brought
forward, whose character with capacitance of 1000 pF, discharging resistance of 1 , maximal inductance of 20 H and maximal testing voltage charged of 300 kV. If packed fuse under the test, its
electrostatic sensitivity is tested. Then the safety of fuse against electrostatic discharge is further
assessed. If bare fuse under the test, the reliability may be evaluated
According to above figure, the testing equipment of 300 kV electrostatic discharge of aerial
supply to fuses system including EED, with maximal Voltage of 300 kV, Capacitance of 1000 pF
and Maximal resistance of 1 , was successfully manufactured by us. As is shown in following
Fig. 1.
In the simulating circuit, the capacitance of capacitor is 1000 pF, and other parameters are
referred to Table 1. When tested, rising maximal voltage, rising time and pulse width passing
calibrated resistance will be gotten. By comparing the result of test with indexes of MIL-STD331B, as is shown in Table 1, we can come to conclusion that, given the same rising maximal
voltage, rising time and pulse width (half-height width of pulse) passing the calibrated resistance
in MIL-STD-331B is respectively 180 ns and 300 ns, but in our test, which is respectively 50ns
and 150ns. At the same time, the dissipation of energy in calibrated resistance in MIL-STD-331B
accounts for 88.8 percent of total energy of capacitor but in our test 95.9 percent. The waveform
of test result is shown in Fig. 2.
3. TEST

When testing, to ensure that the selected test point in fuse surface is the worst case, especially, the
test point can be selected which the electromagnetic energy can be transferred, such as, contact
point, lead, pinhole, aperture and so on. The test result on high voltage electrostatic discharge to

Figure 1: The configuration of high voltage electrostatic discharge test system on EED and fuze.

Figure 2: Current and voltage waveforms of calibrated resistance with capacitor charged voltage of 300 kV,
channel 1 is current waveform; channel 2 is voltage waveform.

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 1216, 2011

1327

EED and Fuze is shown as followed:

(1) Detonators are placed with one pin contacted to the ground and another pin contacted to the
discharge electrode, the ten detonators are random took from one set of detonators, then the
voltage of high voltage electrostatic discharge test system is adjusted to 50 kV, the all testers
are fired.
(2) Ten detonators are random took from one set of detonators, detonators are placed with two
wringing pins contacted to the ground and the case contacted to the discharge electrode, The
Table 1: The voltage peak, rise time, pulse width in 100 calibrated resistance through simulated calculation
and actual testing.
PP

PP

Parameters

Parameters in MIL-STD-331B

R = 1 , Rs = 100 , L < 20 H
PPof circuit
PP
U
Tr /ns pulse width /ns
voltage
PP
s /kV
P
P
50 kV
100 kV
150 kV
200 kV
250 kV
300 kV

PP

PP

22.3
44.7
67.0
89.0
112.0
134.0

Parameters

180
180
180
180
180
180

300
300
300
300
300
300

Parameters in our test

R = 4 , Rs = 100 , L = 3.0 H
Us /kV Tr /ns pulse width /ns
40.70
81.70
122.5
163.4
204.2
245.1

50
50
50
50
50
50

100
100
100
100
100
100

Actual testing result (calibrated

resistance of 100 is linked)

PPof circuit
PP
Us /kV Tr /ns pulse width /ns
voltage
PP
P
P
50 kV
100 kV
150 kV
200 kV
250 kV
300 kV

40.2
81.6
121.7
161.9
205.0
252.0

50
50
50
50
50
50

150
150
150
150
150
150

Table 2: The test results of EED of pin-case.

Tester

The quantity
of tester
1

1
1#detonators

1
1
1
1
1
1
1

The voltage
of charge /kV

Test result

50
100
200
50
200
250
200
225
150
300
300
275
300
150
200
150
200
300

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1

remark

PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 1216, 2011

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Figure 3: The figure of electrostatic discharge test system on fuse (contained EED).

test results of detonators are shown in Table 2.

(3) The fuse(contained EED)is selected, the voltage of high voltage electrostatic discharge test
system is adjusted to 50 kV, 100 kV, 200 kV, 300 kV, the EED in fuse is not fired, the figure
of test with fuse is shown in Fig. 3.
4. CONCLUSION

According to above analyzing, the testing performance of electrostatic discharge of aerial supply
to fuses system manufactured by us is superior to that of MIL-STD-331B. For example, the 95.9
percent of energy dissipation in calibrated resistance in our test is higher than that of MIL-STD331B
In above 300 kV electrostatic discharge testing system for EED, there is a isolated circuit, which
has following function: when the capacitor is charged by power of high voltage, the discharge circuit
will be isolated; in turn, when the capacitor is discharged toward sample, the charge circuit will
be isolated. Most of all, in this systems, six levels of electrostatic discharge for fuse or for EED,
with charging voltage from 50 kV to 300 kV including positive polarity and negative polarity, may
be tested. So this testing systems supply a gap in our nation.
REFERENCES

1. Liu, S., G. Wei, and Z. Liu, The Theory and Safety of Electrostatic, Beijing Publishing House
of Ordnance Industry, 1999.
2. MIL-STD-1512, Electroexplosive Subsystems, Electrically Initiated, Design Requirements and
Test Methods, 1976.
3. MIL-STD-1576, Electroexplosive Subsystems Safety Requirements and Test Methods for Space
Systems, 1984.
4. MIL-STD-331B, Fuze and Fuze Components Environment and Performance Test, 1989.2.
5. GJB736. 11-90, Test Method of Initiating Explosive Device, Electrostatic Sensitivity Test for
Electric Initiating Explosive Device, 1991.6.