Fundamental Aspects of Unconfined Explosions
Abstract
This report covers progress made in the second year of the research program. The first part of the report is devoted to a generalized analytical prediction of the ground impulse that can be obtained from a blast wave, detonation wave, and an idealized fuel-air explosion. The latter consists of blast wave behavior for radius, r, less than a critical radius, r*, and Chapman- Jouguet detonation for r > r*. In all cases so far, the finite diameter of the cloud with the attendant shock wave propagation beyond the cloud has not been taken into account. The latter part of this report is devoted to the experimental aspects. Improvements in the facility for generating cylindrical shock waves and detonation waves are described controlled experiments on cylinderical blast waves with the associated data reduction techniques are discussed. The results are interpreted to yield a calibration on the effective energy release of the initiating charge of Detasheet. Two phase cylindrical detonation experiments were also conducted using a highly refined fraction of kerosene. The results indicate that at small radius blast wave behavior predominated whereas at larger radius a constant velocity detonation was realized when the initiation energy was sufficiently high. The experimentally determined transition radius between the two types of behavior agreed very well with theoretical values. Cylindrical detonations in gaseous MAPP-air mixtures were also studied. The variation in threshold energy required for initiation as well as rich and lean limits were established. The results agree very well with large scale field tests.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0913443
Entities
People
- Chenming Hu
- D. R. Glass
- J. A. Nicholls
- K. Kearney
- M. Sichel
- R. De Saro
- R. S. Fry
Organizations
- University of Michigan