The Effect of Air Gaps on the Propagation of Detonation in Charges Consisting of Stacked Blocks of Cast TNT,
Abstract
A series of experiments was conducted to examine the influence on the uniformity of detonation propagation of air gaps between large blocks of slow-cooled cast TNT. Donor-receptor geometries examined were (i) two blocks with the detonation front parallel to the gap edge, and (ii) four blocks with one corner in common and the (planar) detonation front at an angle of 45 deg to the block edge. Air gaps from 3 mm to 25 mm were studied. The two-block configurations produced no distortion of the shape, but the measured detonation velocity in the donor blocks and the scatter in results in the receptor blocks were observed to be influenced by the orientation of the propagation velocity vector with respect to the long axis of the TNT crystals. The four-block configuration featured channelling of detonation gases ahead of the front in the air gaps, leading to an initially complex and distorted wave structure, as well as to a delay in reinitiation, in the vertically-opposite receptor block. The shape distortion and delay effects increased as the gap width was increased. Keywords: Slow-cooled; Crystal orientation; Channelling.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA163398
Entities
People
- A. W. Gibb
Organizations
- Defence Research and Development Canada