Simulation Development for Silo Test Program (STP). Volume 1. Design and Evaluation of a Variable HEST (High Explosive Simulation Technique) for STP 3.5A Experiment

Abstract

In support of the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) Silo Test Program (STP), we designed and evaluated the performance of a variable high explosive simulation technique (HEST) to simulate the airblast environment resulting from a 1.95-kt (1/8-scale of 1 MT) nuclear surface burst over a pressure range of 500 MPa (5 kbar) to 7 MPa (1000 psi). Our final design consisted of a variable HEST in which Iremite-60 explosive is used predominantly in the pressure range from 500 to 100 MPa, and 0.085 kg/m (400 grain/ft) primacord explosive is used in the pressure range from 100 to 7 MPa. The overburden height increases linearly with range from 0.64 to 1.15m. The cavity height increases linearly with the range from 38 mm to the 500-MPa location to 70 mm at the 35-MPa location. Beyond this point, the cavity height remains constant at 70 mm. The above HEST simulator was used in the STP 3.5A experiment performed by WES at Fort Knox. On the basis of photopole, airblast, and near surface soil stress gage data, the impulse from the HEST agreed, to within measurement error, with the design goals for both short (10 ms) and long (90 ms) time frames. Hence, the full positive phase of a 1.95-kt surface burst was successfully simulated by the HEST.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADA163274

Entities

People

  • J. D. Colton
  • M. Sanai

Organizations

  • SRI International

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Charge Density
  • Classification
  • Environment
  • Equations Of State
  • Explosions
  • Explosive Charges
  • Explosives
  • High Explosives
  • High Pressure
  • Materials
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Simulations
  • Simulators
  • Soil Tests
  • Surface Burst
  • Two Dimensional

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics of Materials.