K. L. and B. J. Kosanke Display operators need to be aware of the potential for some tiger tail comets to produce extremely dangerous fallout. The problem was discovered only recently and was then investigated by the authors on a visit to the display company’s facility. The shells in question are 4- and 5-inch (100- …
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Author:Avril
An Interesting New Design???
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke It is difficult to argue that the quality of Chinese fireworks has not improved greatly over the past 25 years. However, that is not to say that on occasion, one still does not encounter quality related problems, sometimes so extreme that it is hard to believe. The photo in …
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As Defined by Regulation, What Is Fireworks Flash Powder?
K. L. Kosanke and L. Weinman Although widely used, the term “flash powder” is poorly defined; there is nothing even approaching universal agreement about exactly which pyrotechnic formulations are and are not fireworks flash powders. This would be of some concern under any circumstance; however, it is the use of the term—flash powder—in regulations that …
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A Report on the Fireworks Accident at Carmel, Western Australia
R. I. Grose and K. L. Kosanke* ABSTRACT: The investigation into an accident at Carmel, Western Australia in March 2002 found that the magnitude of explosions occurring in licensed and unlicensed storage areas was significantly greater than would have been expected from the UN hazard classification of items stored within them. Use of revised UN …
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A Brief Description of the Construction and Functioning of Common Electric Matches
Lawrence Weinman and K. L. Kosanke ABSTRACT: A simple description of the construction and the physical principles governing the function of common electric matches and some implications of these principles for testing and firing them are presented. Keywords: electric match, heat resistance, current, volt, pyrogen Ref: Selected Pyrotechnic Publication of K.L. and B.J Kosanke, Part …
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Manual Firing Delay Times for Aerial Shells
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke Introduction: As used in this article, the definition of “manual firing delay time” is the time interval between the manual ignition of the tip of the shell leader delay element and when the aerial shell fires from its mortar. This delay time is of interest in the context of …
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Indoor Pyrotechnics-A Brief Cautionary Message
M. J. McVicar and K. L. Kosanke The forensic science community has had a long-standing interest in the analysis of the residues deposited after the deployment of devices whose operation involves a controlled explosion. For example, testing for the residues of the compounds of lead, barium, and antimony, used in the primer of small-arms ammunitions, …
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Typical Mortar Recoil Forces Produced When Firing Spherical Aerial Shells
K. L. Kosanke and L. Weinman (Included in the text of this article are a series of notes. These notes present ancillary information that may be of interest to some readers but are not strictly needed within the context of this article. Thus readers should feel free to ignore the notes unless they desire more …
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The Effect of Intentionally Caused Fire Leaks into 2-1/4-Inch Consumer Fireworks Shells
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke A series of experiments are being conducted to more definitively establish the difference between the causes of so-called flowerpots[1] andmuzzle breaks.[2] Testing was performed to document the effect of firing small firework aerial shells after having intentionally provided fire leaks into those shells. The idea for this testing originated …
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Shogun Electric Match Connectors
K. L. and B. J. Kosanke The most common point of attachment of an electric match to a fireworks aerial shell is via the shell leader, and most commonly the installation of the electric match is performed by a display company when preparing for a display. Because of the difficulty of performing that operation with …
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