K. L. & B. J. Kosanke* and F. Ryan ABSTRACT: A sample of Black Powder dating to the time of the US Civil War (ca. 1863) was harvested from cannon balls uncovered during an excavation on what had previously been the grounds of the Allegheny Arsenal near Pittsburgh, PA. A portion of this powder was …
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Month:April 2007
Dud Shell Risk Assessment: Mortar Placement
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke The previous article on this topic[1] discussed the general process by which one performs a risk assessment and then applied it to two fireworks display scenarios. One scenario had mortars of the same size together in groups, with each group located at their pre-1990 minimum National Fire Protection Association …
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Dud Shell Risk Assessment: NFPA Distances
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke There are potential hazards and some level of risk resulting from those hazards associated with all human activities. When the risks are below an acceptable level, those activities are generally considered safe. The hard part is not the estimation of risks; there are relatively simple methods to estimate risk. …
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Pyrotechnic Primes and Priming
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke ABSTRACT: If a pyrotechnic item fails to ignite when intended, it is a failure. It makes no difference that had it ignited; it would have produced a spectacular display or a life-saving distress signal. Primes and priming techniques are important in producing high quality pyrotechnic effects, because it is …
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Quick Match — A Review and Study
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke ABSTRACT: Several factors affect the burning of quick match. A brief study was conducted to determine the general magnitude of the effects produced by those factors, singly and in combination. For high quality quick match, under the conditions of these tests, it was determined that tight string ties, damage …
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Configuration and “Over-Load” Studies of Concussion Mortars
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke and Larry Weinman* ABSTRACT: Although concussion mortars have been used for many years at band concerts and in theatrical performances, there has been relatively little investigation of the effectiveness of their basic design. Measurements of the effect of two modifications of the design of concussion mortars indicate that significant …
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Lift Charge Loss for a Shell to Remain in Mortar
K. L. Kosanke I recently needed an estimate of the amount of lift powder that would have to be missing from a spherical aerial shell, for it to remain in its mortar upon firing. Since that apparently has never been reported in the literature and because it was easy to determine, a brief study was …
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Measurements of Glitter Flash Delay, Size and Duration
K. L. Kosanke, B. J. Kosanke & C. Jennings-White ABSTRACT: brief series of measurements were made on the flashes produced by a simple glitter formulation. In part this was done as a test of one theory for the chemistry of glitter. However, this was also done to produce some intrinsically interesting data that have not been …
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Development of a Video Spectrometer
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke ABSTRACT: A simple, low-cost visible light spectrometer, consisting primarily of a video camcorder and an inexpensive diffraction grating, was assembled and found to be of use in work to improve colored pyrotechnic flames. This instrument is all that is needed to collect and store useful, qualitative flame color information. …
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