Effects of Charge Shape and Composition on Blast Environment

Abstract

Blast pressures were obtained from surface bursts of hemispherical, spherical, and cylindrical composition B explosive and from encased RDX slurry charges. Charge weights varied from 0.50 to 3.7 pounds. Pressure measurements, taken between 2 and 50 feet from the charge, varied from less than 1 psi to over 1,000 psi. The pressure-time records were evaluated for peak pressure, impulse, and positive-phase duration. The effects of charge shape and composition were of primary importance, but surface hardness and slight charge elevation effects were also investigated. Peak-pressure and peak-scaled unit impulse equivalencies (by weight of TNT hemispherical surface bursts) are calculated for composition B spheres and cylinders and for the RDX slurry charges. Test results indicate that the blast environment from composition B depends more on the shape of the charge than on its chemical difference from the TNT standard. The composition B equivalencies determined in this study might be more properly labeled as shape factors which could be applied to any high explosive.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1975
Accession Number
ADA011807

Entities

People

  • J. E. Tancreto

Organizations

  • Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Counter IED
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Civil Engineering
  • Detonations
  • Engineering
  • Explosions
  • Explosives
  • High Explosives
  • Instrumentation
  • Measurement
  • Munitions
  • Ordnance Laboratories
  • Pressure Gages
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Recording Systems
  • Shock Waves
  • Surface Burst

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  • Explosive Engineering.