Prediction of Shock Pressure Histories in Cylindrical Blast Containment Chambers
Abstract
A number of containment chambers have been manufactured over the last decade for totally confined testing of high explosive charge weights ranging up to approximately 22 lbs of TNT. Typically these chambers are cylindrical, with a length to diameter ratio between one and two. The chambers are designed to resist blast pressures from the design charge weight without any plastic deformation. This paper discusses how the BLASTX computer code can be used to predict internal blast loads on the chamber walls. This code uses a polygon to model the actual circular cross section of the chamber. A parametric study has shown that the shock pressure history predicted on the chamber endcaps increases with the number of sides on the polygon. Therefore, the predicted blast pressure does not approach a single value as the polygon models the circular cross section more accurately with additional sides. However, comparisons to available data from proof tests on existing containment chambers indicate that blast pressures can be predicted with reasonable accuracy if the number of sides on the polygon is chosen based on the ratio of the charge standoff to the endcap divided by the chamber diameter.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA500503
Entities
People
- Charles J. Oswald
- Edward D. Esparza