MIL-DTL-23659 Initiators, Electric, General Design Specification ForThis specification furnishes general requirements for design and establishes uniform methods for testing electric initiators and electric initiator subassemblies. The purpose of the testing program is to determine the electric characteristics, soundness of mechanical design, output, and resistance to deleterious service environments. For purposes of this specification the term electric initiator includes items classified in FSC 1377 such as hot wire initiators, exploding bridgewire initiators, exploding foil initiators, conductive mix initiators, etc. Electric primers are not covered in this specification. All requirements for in-line initiators used in safety sensitive, non-interrupted energetic materials train applications are contained in Appendix A. Requirements for all other initiators are in the main body of this document.

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MIL-DTL-23659F

shock wave duration, dent, mechanical force, etc. which can be related to the expected

performance of the initiator.

6.3.7. Minimum 50 Millisecond All-Fire Stimulus. The least firing stimulus which

causes initiation within 50 milliseconds of not less than 99.0 per cent of all initiators of a given

design at a level of confidence of 95 per cent. For electric initiators which contain a delay

element the firing stimulus should be applied for not less than 50 milliseconds, but the actuation

time should be extended to include the maximum delay time specified for the delay element.

6.3.8. Firing Time. Firing time is the total elapsed time from the time of application of

the firing all-fire stimulus to the time of initiator actuation, exclusive of delay element time, if

present.

6.3.9. Maximum no-fire stimulus. The greatest firing stimulus which does not cause

initiation within five minutes of more than 1.0 percent of all electric initiators of a given design

at a level of confidence of 95 percent. For electric initiators which contain a delay element the

firing stimulus should be applied for 5 minutes exclusive of delay element time if present.

6.4. Summary of some Problems in Applying Various Statistical Type Analyses. Various

statistical type analyses have been prepared and are used in order to determine safety and

reliability; for example: Bruceton method, Probit method etc. Statisticians have pointed out the

fallacy of a blanket use of these various methods and the extreme care necessary in their

application. Much effort is being conducted in search of an ideal method for this type of testing.

AMP Report No. 101.1R SRG � PN 40 or NAVORD Report No. 2101 in conjunction with an

article ("A Statistical Precise Method of Estimating the Bio-Assay and Quantal Response, Based

on the Logistical Distribution Function") in the Journal of American Statistical Association 48,

pages 565-599, September, 1953 elucidates on one of the methods. In light of these difficulties,

the only really safe method of reliability testing is the standard, GO, NO-GO type.

6.5 Subject Term (Key Word) Listing.

Igniters

Fuzes

6.5. Changes from previous issue. Marginal notations are not used in this revision to

identify changes with respect to the previous issue due to the extensiveness of the changes.

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