Tower Height for Lead Bullets: Can Someone Help?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Adhna
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Tower
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
Sign up Log in
4 replies · 2K views
Adhna
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Can someone help my problem

Grains of lead bullets used in rifle cartridge made of small round pellets 2-3mm in diameter and is made by dripping molten lead from a tall tower , this method has been used since its invention by William Watts in 1782. To produce granules of lead ball must be ensured droplets copper liquid freezes before reaching the runway . How high should we build a tower ?
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
I've seen one of these working . The Bristol one as shown in small pictures here :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_tower

More about the Bristol one here :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese_Lane_Shot_Tower

This is a much older one in action :


To answer your question - shot towers were always designed by experience rather than by calculation .
Meaningful calculations would in any case be very difficult to do . A computer model might be possible .

Note that shot towers were always very high .
 
Ok, in my case should calculate high the tower. It use many factors like gravity, mechanical energy, or thermodynamics. I stuck with that. But thank you Nidum for this information it will helpful
 
The referenced Wiki site give you the required height and clarifies the method of quenching and transport. The tower height is what is required to only to allow the lead droplet to configure into a spherical shape and then cool to the point that it will not deform upon striking the water pool.
 
Thank you your explanation JBA