An Assessment of the Performance of the History Variable Reactive Bum Explosive Initiation Model in the CTH Code

Abstract

We exercised the History Variable Reactive Burn (HVRB) model in the CTH code, simulating a number of common explosive sensitivity experiments, including sustained- and pulsed-shock initiation, projectile-impact initiation, and detonation failure. Predictions of sustained-shock initiation are accurate in accordance with the calibration of the model. Predictions of pulsed-shock initiation are only somewhat more accurate than those achieved previously using Forest Fire. Predictions of projectile-impact initiation are much better. The results for bare explosive show excellent agreement with experiment for both flat- and round-tipped projectiles. With a 2-mm tantalum cover, the agreement is nearly as good. With a 2-mm tantalum cover, the agreement deteriorates for flat-tipped projectiles, while remaining adequate in the case of round-tipped projectiles. The failure radius and thickness predicted with CTH exhibit minimam (near which the solutions are most stable) as functions of zone dimension, but do not appear to converge. These minimum values agree well with experiment. Although no converged solutions were obtained, the most stable failure thickness is approximately equal to the most stable failure radius.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1998
Accession Number
ADA347569

Entities

People

  • John Starkenberg
  • Toni M. Dorsey

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Calibration
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Energetic Materials
  • Equations
  • Equations Of State
  • Explosive Charges
  • Explosives
  • Fires
  • Forest Fires
  • Geometry
  • High Explosives
  • Materials
  • Plastic Bonded Explosives
  • Propellants
  • Thickness
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Rocket Propulsion.