Experimental study on explosion dispersion process of a multi-layer composite charge under different initiation modes

The influence of initiation modes on the explosive dispersion process of the multi-layer composite charge (MCC) was studied. Overpressure sensors and high-speed photography system were used to investigate the energy release process of an MCC with a specific structure. The shock wave pressure and explosive dispersion characteristics of the MCC under different initiation modes were compared. The forming and expanding process of the shock wave of the composite charge under different initiation modes was determined. The separation position of the shock wave and fireball interface was determined. The calculation formulas of the shock radius and overpressure of the composite charge are presented. The radius of the shock wave of the composite charge was significantly affected by the initiation mode. Moreover, the development process of the composite explosive fireball under different initiation modes was analyzed, the variation rules of the composite charge dispersion radius and fireball dispersion velocity with time were obtained under the different initiation modes, the explosion energy release rate of composite charge under simultaneous initiation modes was the highest, and the peak overpressure under the simultaneous initiation mode was 1.61 times that of central single-point initiation.     

Investigation on energy output structure of explosives near-ground explosion

In order to give the energy output structure of typical explosives near-ground explosion in real ground conditions, the free-field shockwave, ground reflection shockwave and Mach wave overpressure time history of composition B explosive, RDX explosive and aluminized explosive were measured by air pressure sensors and ground pressure sensors. The shape of the free-field shock wave, ground reflection shock wave, and Mach wave and explosion flame were captured by high-speed camera. The experimental results show that, at the same horizontal distance from the initiation point, the peak overpressure of explosive shock wave of composition B explosive, both in the air and on the ground, is less than that of RDX and aluminized explosives. At a distance of 3.0 m from the initiation point, the peak overpressure of aluminized explosives is slightly less than that of RDX explosives. Owing to the exothermic effect of aluminum powder, the pressure drop of aluminized explosives is slower than that of RDX explosives. At 5.0 m from the initiation point, the peak overpressure of aluminized explosives is larger than that of RDX explosives. At the same position from the initiation point, among the three kinds of explosives, the impulse of aluminized explosives is the maximum and the impulse of composition B explosives is the minimum. With the increase of the horizontal distance from the initiation point, the height of Mach triple-points (Mach steam) of the three explosives increases gradually. At the same horizontal distance from the initiation point, there is poorly difference in the height of Mach triple-points between aluminized explosive and RDX explosive, and the height of Mach triple-points of composition B explosive is much smaller than that of other two explosives. The maximum diameter and duration of the fireball formed by aluminized explosives are the largest, followed by composition B explosive, and the maximum diameter and duration of the fireball formed by RDX explosive are the smallest.     

Effect of metal powders on explosion of fuel-air explosives with delayed secondary igniters

In order to improve the energy level of fuel air explosive(FAE) with delayed secondary igniters, high energetic metal powders were added to liquid fuels mainly composed of ether and isopropyl nitrate. Metal powders' explosive properties and reaction mechanisms in FAE were studied by high-speed video, pressure test system, and infrared thermal imager. The results show that compared with pure liquid fuels, the shock wave overpressure, maximum surface fireball temperature and high temperature duration of the mixture were significantly increased after adding high energetic metal powder. The overpressure values of the liquid-solid mixture at all measuring points were higher than that of the pure liquid fuels. And the maximum temperature of the fireball was up to 1700 ℃, which was higher than that of the pure liquid fuels. After replacing 30％of aluminum powder with boron or magnesium hydride, the shock wave pressure of the mixture was further increased. The high heat of combustion of boron and the hydrogen released by magnesium hydride could effectively increase the blast effect of the mixture. The improvement of the explosion performance of boron was better than magnesium hydride. It shows that adding high energetic metal powder to liquid fuels can effectively improve the explosion performance of FAE.     

Modeling of the whole process of shock wave overpressure of free-field air explosion

The waveform of the explosion shock wave under free-field air explosion is an extremely complex problem. It is generally considered that the waveform consists of overpressure peak, positive pressure zone and negative pressure zone. Most of current practice usually considers only the positive pressure. Many empirical relations are available to predict overpressure peak, the positive pressure action time and pressure decay law. However, there are few models that can predict the whole waveform. The whole process of explosion shock wave overpressure, which was expressed as the product of the three factor functions of peak, attenuation and oscillation, was proposed in the present work. According to the principle of explosion similarity, the scaled parameters were introduced and the empirical formula was absorbed to form a mathematical model of shock wave overpressure. Parametric numerical simulations of free-field air explosions were conducted. By experimental verification of the AUTODYN numerical method and comparing the analytical and simulated curves, the model is proved to be accurate to calculate the shock wave overpressure under free-field air explosion. In addition, through the model the shock wave overpressure at different time and distance can be displayed in three dimensions. The model makes the time needed for theoretical calculation much less than that for numerical simulation.     

UHMWPE复合材料抗爆实验研究

运用定制的聚偏四氟乙烯(PVDF)压电传感器,直接测量爆炸载荷下UHMWPE层叠无纬布和PU基体的UHMWPE复合材料内部冲击波压力峰值,对其冲击波衰减特性进行了实验研究。实验结果表明:UHMWPE复合材料对爆炸冲击波有很好的衰减作用,含有PU基体的UHMWPE复合材料比UHMWPE层叠无纬布对爆炸冲击波有更好的衰减效果。UHMWPE复合材料具有轻质、吸收冲击波效率高等特性,在爆炸冲击波防护领域有很好的应用前景。     

Numerical study on the case effect of a bomb air explosion

When considering the bomb explosion damage effect, the air shock wave and high-speed fragments of the bomb case are two major threats. In experiments, the air shock wave was studied by the bare ex-plosives superseding the real cased bomb; in contrast, the bomb case influence was ignored to reduce risk. The air explosion simulations of the MK84 warhead with and without the case were conducted. The numerical simulation results showed that the bomb case significantly influenced the shock wave generated by the bomb: the spatial distribution of shock wave in the near field changed, and the peak value of shock wave was reduced. Breakage of the case and kinetic energy of the fragmentation consumed 3 and 38% of the explosion energy, respectively. The increasing factors of the peak over-pressure induced by the bare explosive on the ground and in the air were 1.43-3.04 and 1.37-1.57, respectively. Four typical stages of case breakage were defined. The mass distribution of the fragments follows the Mott distribution. The initial velocity distribution of the fragments agreed well with the Gurney equation.     

Mitigation effects on the reflected overpressure of blast shock with water surrounding an explosive in a confined space

The mitigation of blast shock with water has broad application prospects. Understanding the mitigation effects on the reflected overpressure of the explosion shock with water surrounding an explosive in a confined space is of great significance for military explosives safety applications. To estimate the effects of the parameters on the reflected overpressure of blasted shock wave, a series of experiments were carried out in confined containers with spherical explosives immersed in a certain thickness of water, and numerical simulations were conducted to explore the corresponding mechanisms. The results reveal that the reflected overpressure is abnormally aggravated at a small scaled distance. This aggravation is due to the high impulse of the bulk accelerated water shell converted from the explosion. With increasing scaled distance, the energy will be gradually dissipated. The mitigation effects will appear with the dispersed water phase front impacting at a larger scaled distance, except in the case of a dense water phase state. A critical scaled distance range of 0.7—0.8 m/kg1/3 for effective mitigation was found. It is suggested that the scaled distance of space walls should be larger than the critical value for a certain water-to-explosive weight ratio range (5—20).     

Experimental and numerical study of the blast wave decrease using sandwich panel by granular materials core

Among the intrinsic properties of some materials, e.g., foams, porous materials, and granular materials, are their ability to mitigate shock waves. This paper investigated shock wave mitigation by a sandwich panel with a granular core. Numerical simulations and experimental tests were performed using Autodyn hydro-code software and a shock tube, respectively. The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method was used to model granular materials. Sawdust and pumice, whose properties were determined by several compression tests, were used as granular materials in the sandwich panel core. These granular materials possess many mechanisms, including compacting (e.g., sawdust) and crushing (e.g., pumice) that mitigate shock/blast wave. The results indicated the ineffectiveness of using a core with low thickness, yet it was demonstrated to be effective with high thickness. Low-thickness pumice yielded better results for wave mitigation. The use of these materials with a core with appropriate core reduces up to 88% of the shock wave. The results of the experiments and numerical simulations were compared, suggesting a good agreement between the two. This indicates the accuracy of simulation and the ability of the SPH method to modeling granular material under shock loading. The effects of grain size and the coefficient of friction between grains have also been investigated using simulation, implying that increasing the grain size and coefficient of friction between grains both reduce overpressure.     

Mitigation of the blast load effects on a building structure using newly composite structural configurations

In this study, a nonlinear three-dimensional hydrocode numerical simulation was carried out using AUTODYN-3D to investigate the effect of blasting of a high explosive material (TNT) against several configurations of the composite structure. Several numerical models were carried out to study the effect of varying the thickness of the walls and the effect of adding an air layer or aluminum foam layer inside two layers of concrete in mitigating the effect of blast waves on the structure walls. The results showed that increasing the thickness of walls has a good effect on mitigating the effect of blast waves. When a layer of air was added, the effect of blast waves was exaggerated, while when a layer of aluminum foam was added the blast wave effects were mitigated with a reasonable percentage.     

Numerical simulation of the blast wave of a multilayer composite charge

The numerical simulation of a blast wave of a multilayer composite charge is investigated. A calculation model of the near-field explosion and far-field propagation of the shock wave of a composite charge is established using the AUTODYN finite element program. Results of the near-field and far-field calculations of the shock wave respectively converge at cell sizes of 0.25–0.5 cm and 1–3 cm. The Euler––flux-corrected transport solver is found to be suitable for the far-field calculation after mapping. A numerical simulation is conducted to study the formation, propagation, and interaction of the shock wave of the composite charge for different initiation modes. It is found that the initiation mode obviously affects the shock-wave waveform and pressure distribution of the composite charge. Additionally, it is found that the area of the overpressure distribution is greatest for internal and external simultaneous initiation, and the peak pressure of the shock wave exponentially decays, fitting the calculation formula of the peak overpressure attenuation under different initiation modes, which is obtained and verified by experiment. The difference between numerical and experimental results is less than 10%, and the peak overpressure of both internal and external initiation is 56.12% higher than that of central single-point initiation.     

模拟油罐油气混合物爆炸实验与数值仿真研究

对模拟油罐内油气混合物爆炸冲击波特性进行了研究.在直径为1 m的模拟油罐中进行了油气混合物爆炸模拟实验,建立了模拟油罐油气混合物爆炸的数值仿真模型,并借助大型商业软件Fluent6.2完成了数值仿真研究.数值仿真结果与实验值较为吻合.模拟实验和数值仿真研究的结果表明:油气体积分数、罐内初始温度等决定模拟油罐油气混合物爆炸压力的大小.油罐内爆炸压力波的振荡特性对金属油罐结构来说是有害的.     

铝合金-纯铝-钢复合板爆炸焊接试验及性能研究

通过设计爆炸焊接试验复合了铝合金-纯铝-钢爆炸复合板,对其界面形态、显微硬度及力学性能进行了研究。结果表明,铝合金-纯铝界面纯规则正弦波形,纯铝-钢复合板界面波形较小,铝合金-纯铝-钢复合板的界面剪切强度在75 MPa以上,爆炸复合过程中,纯铝与钢界面生成了金属间化合物,其界面处基体金属发生强烈的塑性变形。复合板变形及组织变化的结果造成复合板界面处的显微硬度最高,随着距界面距离的增加,两侧基体金属的硬度逐渐降低。     

Explosion temperature mapping of emulsion explosives containing TiH2 powders with the two-color pyrometer technique

In the study, the two-color pyrometer technique was used to measure the transient temperature field of emulsion explosives with different contents of TiH₂ powders. The experimental results showed that the introduction of TiH₂ powders could significantly increase the explosion temperature and fireball duration of emulsion explosive. When emulsion explosives were ignited, the average explosion temperature of pure emulsion explosive continuously decreased while emulsion explosives added with TiH₂ powders increased at first and then decreased. When the content of TiH₂ powders was 6 mass%, the explosion average temperature reached its maximum value of 3095 K, increasing by 43.7% as compared with that of pure emulsion explosive. In addition, the results of air blast experiment and explosion heat test showed that the variation trends of shock wave parameters, explosion heat and theoretical explosion temperature of emulsion explosives with different contents of TiH₂ powders were basically consistent with that of explosion temperature measured by the two-color pyrometer technique. In conclusion, the two-color pyrometer technique would be conducive to the formula design of emulsion explosive by understanding the explosion temperature characteristics.     

Multi-layer protective armour for underwater shock wave mitigation

The effect of underwater shock wave on different target plates has been studied.An underwater shock wave generator(shock tube) was used to study the interactions between water and different constructed targets which act as shock wave mitigation.Target plates,composed of sandwich of two aluminum sheets with rubber and foam in between,were prepared and studied.For comparison,the target plates composed of triple aluminum sheets were tested.The study includes the testing of the selected plates in water under the effect of different peak pressures and the analysis of the results.The strain gauge data and displacement sensors results showed that the multi-layer plates have higher level of underwater shock wave mitigation than the triple aluminum plates with strain and deflection of nearly 50%.     

一种新型防护结构对爆炸冲击波衰减特性的研究

运用大型有限元软件LS—DYNA,在相同爆炸冲击波作用下,对洞库口部普通钢板防护门和有泡沫铝夹层的钢板防护门两种防护结构的隔爆性能进行了数值模拟和对比分析,结果表明:有泡沫铝夹层的钢板防护门对爆炸冲击波有着良好的衰减特性。同时表明该新型防护结构对洞库口部抗爆炸冲击波设计有着很高的参考价值。     

T型分支坑道对油气爆炸传播特性的影响

为研究T型分支坑道对油气爆炸传播特性的影响,通过对比实验,测定了相同初始条件下T型分支坑道和直坑道中油气混合物爆炸的火焰传播速度和爆炸波超压值。利用高速摄影仪,记录了火焰传播至T型分支坑道时的火焰阵面变化情况,并对T型分支坑道中油气混合物爆炸的传播情况进行了理论分析。结果表明：T型分支坑道对油气混合物爆炸的影响可以视为面积突扩和障碍物扰动双重作用的影响;火焰经过支坑道时,火焰阵面发生扭曲并产生皱褶,表面积增大导致火焰传播速度增大;T型分支坑道处,大量反射波和绕射波进入波后反应区,加强了气流湍流强度,并推动已燃气体回传,迅速提高了燃烧反应速度和能量释放率,起到了增大火焰传播速度和爆炸波超压值的作用。     

Shock-induced reaction behaviors of functionally graded reactive material

In this paper, the ballistic impact experiments, including impact test chamber and impact double-spaced plates, were conducted to study the reaction behaviors of a novel functionally graded reactive material (FGRM), which was composed of polytetrafluoroethylene/aluminum (PTFE/Al) and PTFE/Al/bismuth trioxide (Bi₂O₃). The experiments showed that the impact direction of the FGRM had a significant effect on the reaction. With the same impact velocity, when the first impact material was PTFE/Al/Bi₂O₃, compared with first impact material PTFE/Al, the FGRM induced higher overpressure in the test chamber and larger damaged area of double-spaced plates. The theoretical model, which considered the shock wave generation and propagation, the effect of the shock wave on reaction efficiency, and penetration behaviors, was developed to analyze the reaction behaviors of the FGRM. The model predicted first impact material of the FGRM with a higher shock impedance was conducive to the reaction of reactive materials. The conclusion of this study provides significant information about the design and application of reactive materials.     

Fragment spatial distribution of prismatic casing under internal explosive loading

Non-cylindrical casings filled with explosives have undergone rapid development in warhead design and explosion control. The fragment spatial distribution of prismatic casings is more complex than that of traditional cylindrical casings. In this study, numerical and experimental investigations into the fragment spatial distribution of a prismatic casing were conducted. A new numerical method, which adds the Lagrangian marker points to the Eulerian grid, was proposed to track the multi-material interfaces and material dynamic fractures. Physical quantity mappings between the Lagrangian marker points and Eulerian grid were achieved by their topological relationship. Thereafter, the fragment spatial distributions of the prismatic casing with different fragment sizes, fragment shapes, and casing geometries were obtained using the numerical method. Moreover, fragment spatial distribution experiments were conducted on the prismatic casing with different fragment sizes and shapes, and the experimental data were compared with the numerical results. The effects of the fragment and casing geometry on the fragment spatial distributions were determined by analyzing the numerical results and experimental data. Finally, a formula including the casing geometry parameters was fitted to predict the fragment spatial distribution of the prismatic casing under internal explosive loading.     

Research on the intermediate phase of 40CrMnSiB steel shell under different heat treatments

In this study, 40CrMnSiB steel cylindrical shells were tempered at 350, 500 and 600 ℃ to study the effect of tempering temperature on the dynamic process of expansion and fracture of the metal shell. A mid-explosion recovery experiment for the metal cylinder under internal explosive loading was designed, and the wreckage of the casings at the intermediate phase was obtained. The effects of different tempering temperatures on the macroscopic and microscopic fracture characteristics of 40CrMnSiB steel were studied. The influence of tempering temperatures on the fracture characteristic parameters of the recovered wreckage were measured and analyzed, including the circumferential divide size, the thick-ness and the number of the circumferential divisions. The results show that as the tempering temper-ature was increased from 350 to 600 ℃, at first, the degree of fragmentation and the fracture characteristic parameters of the recovered wreckage changed significantly and then became essentially consistent. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed flow-like structure characteristics caused by adiabatic shear on different fracture surfaces. At the detonation initiation end of the casing, fracturing was formed by tearing along the crack, which existed a distance from the initiation end and propagated along the axis direction. In contrast, the fracturing near the middle position consists of a plurality of radial shear fracture units. The amount of alloy carbide that was precipitated during the tempering process increased continuously with tempering temperature, leading to an increasing number of spherical carbide particles scattered around the fracture surface.     

Effect of particle gradation of aluminum on the explosion field pressure and temperature of RDX-based explosives in vacuum and air atmosphere

To optimize the energy output and improve the energy utilization efficiency of an aluminized explosive, an explosion device was developed and used to investigate the detonation pressure and temperature of R1 (Al6) aluminum powder and the aluminum powder particle gradation of R2 (Al6+Al13), R3 (Al6+Al24) and R4 (Al6+Al flake) in a confined space. By using gas chromatography, quantitative analysis and calculations were carried out to analyze the gaseous detonation products. Finally, the reaction ratios of the aluminum powder and the explosion reaction equations were calculated. The results show that in a confined space, the quasi-static pressures and equilibrium temperature of the aluminum powder in air are higher than in vacuum. In vacuum, the quasi-static pressures and equilibrium temperatures of the samples in descending order are R1>R3>R4>R2 and R3>R4>R1>R2, respectively. In air, the quasi-static pressures and equilibrium temperatures of the samples in descending order are R1>R2>R4>R3 and R1>R4>R2>R3, respectively. R4 (Al6+Al flake) and R3 (Al6+Al24) have relatively higher temperatures after detonation, which shows that the particle gradation method can enhance the reaction energy output of aluminum during the initial reaction stage of the explosion and increase the reaction ratio by 10.6% and 8.0%, respectively. In air, the reaction ratio of Al6 aluminum powder can reach as high as 78.16%, and the reaction ratio is slightly reduced after particle gradation. Finally, the reaction equations of the explosives in vacuum and in air were calculated by quantitative analysis of the explosion products, which provides a powerful basis for the study of RDX-based explosive reactions.