QP-BASED OPTIMAL DESIGN OF RIFLING TWIST TO REDUCE RIFLING FORCE

Abstract

Rifled barrels, which are widely employed to impart spin stability to projectiles, are prone to accelerated wear due to the concentration of rifling forces. This study introduces an optimization framework for the rifling twist angle, formulated based on a linearized riflingforce model, to address this issue. By discretizing the barrel length and representing design variables within a state-space framework, the proposed method utilizes quadratic programming to minimize peak rifling forces under predefined in-bore pressure and projectile velocity conditions. The findings indicate that the optimized twist-angle profile effectively mitigates rifling-induced stresses, thereby enhancing the potential service life of the barrel. Moreover, the method’s adaptability to diverse design constraints further underscores its practical applicability in advanced barrel design.