Explosives Engineering Commons^™

An Experimental Study Into The Methods Of Water Coupling And Their Impact On Kinetic Energy And Blast Over Pressure Through The Use Of A Ballistic Pendulum, Jeremiah Alan Cohn

Masters Theses

Water coupled charges utilize the material properties of water to alter their behavior for reductions in overpressure and increases in kinetic energy. Although water coupling has been studied directly, combined usage of the two primary methods of water coupling, tamping and pushing, hinders further research. This study addresses the gap in literature by comparing ballistic pendulum and blast data for charges with water tamping and pushing to determine differences in kinetic energy, peak overpressure, impulse, noise and duration of fireball. The results showed that water tamping provided a 69.1% increase in kinetic energy, an 18.6% reduction in incident overpressure, a …

Mid-Field Shock And Impulse Estimation Methods For Blast Loading On Tall Targets, Ethan Allan Steward

Doctoral Dissertations

Blast resistant structural design continues to be a major research area for governments around the world due to explosive threats from both state and non-state actors. Many of the typical targets of explosive attacks, such as government buildings, commercial high rise office buildings, and apartment complexes are mid to high-occupancy buildings that present a tall profile relative to the charge size and are often clad in curtain walls. In blast resistant structural design, the origin of a shock wave is typically assumed to be in the far-field, creating a wave that is nearly planar and parallel to at least one …

Shock Wave And Vortex Ring Dynamics From Explosively Driven Shock Tunnels, Rachel Louise Bauer

Doctoral Dissertations

"Blast and shock tubes are frequently used to create shock waves to study their effects and impacts on structures, humans, and personal protective equipment. These tubes are also found in other industries including wind tunnels for aerodynamic testing, jet engines for propulsion research, spacecraft reentry simulations, and industrial applications such as material testing and high-velocity impact studies. Despite their widespread use, there is no standard design, with variations in geometry, size, and energy sources. Current research only evaluates the peak pressure of the shock wave produced and does not consider the effects of changing the size or geometry of the …

Influence Of The Moisture On Fumes Derived From The Anfo Detonation, Andrzej Biessikirski, Mateusz Pytlik, Michał Dworzak, Michał Twardosz, Mariusz Wądrzyk, Rafał Janus

Journal of Sustainable Mining

ANFO is one of the most commonly used explosives in open-pit mining, usually produced by mixing systems on the blast site. One of the problems usually not considered is the moisture”s influence on the stored ammonium nitrate(V). The influence of moisture on fumes and the detonation process has been investigated by placing ammonium nitrate(V) prills in the climatic chamber. In the investigation, the influence was evaluated for ANFO samples which were produced based on the two types of fuel oils. It was concluded that the 3.0% moisture level resulted in the lowest NOx content in both case studies. Further increased …

Managing The Rock Mass Destruction Under The Explosion, Maksym Kononenko, Oleh Khomenko, Ivan Sadovenko, Valeriy Sobolev, Yuliya Pazynich, Adam Smoliński

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Using the theory of elasticity and the main provisions of the quasi-static-wave hypothesis of the mechanism of the destruction of a solid medium under the action of an explosion, analytical modelling of the parameters of the formation of crumpling zones and crushing of the rock mass around the charging cavity during its explosive loading was carried out. Analytical models of the radii of the crumpling, intensive fragmentation and fracturing zones formed around the charging cavity in the rock mass during its explosive loading, taking into account the pressure of the explosion products, the limit of tensile-compressive strength of the rocks, …

The Effects Of Rigid Polyurethane Foam As A Confinement Material On Breaching Charge Detonations, Nathan Franz Paerschke-O'Brien

Masters Theses

"The effects of a rigid polyurethane foam used as a confinement material on four types of breaching explosives were tested, focusing on the changes in shockwave peak pressures, detonation load compression forces, and brisance cratering abilities. The Plate Dent testing procedure was modified to incorporate a load cell force sensor, and two air overpressure sensors were included adjacent to the blast to quantify each test result. The testing variables focused on the polyurethane foam cure times and thickness volumes around the breaching explosives to determine the breaching charges' optimal energy output capabilities when confined by the foam material. The rigid …

The Behavior Of Suas Under Explosive Loading Conditions And Implications For Safe Operating Procedures, Ashok Em Sudhakar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Drones are increasingly being used for tasks previously unimagined and the beneficial uses are evolving. The United States Congress has envisioned the possible uses of drones for both combating and conveying explosive threats and other harmful and destructive activities. Congress' intent is reflected in new laws (2018) and policies (2019).

All civilian available Small Unmanned Aerial Systems sUASs (Drones), weighing less than 55 pounds, in the current market are not designed for operations in explosive environments. This first of a kind research focuses on further understanding of sUASs response to explosive loading and the public policy implications. This research measured …

Material Properties Affecting The Penetration Of Metal Targets By Copper Linear Shaped Charges, Kevin Lee Phelps

Masters Theses

"A linear shaped charge (LSC) is an explosive device used in demolition, aerospace, and in other applications that require the cutting of metal. Users of LSC's typically know the size of shaped charge needed to cut their target but commonly encounter previously untested materials. The motivation for this thesis is to provide an understanding as to what target material properties are good indicators of cutting performance so the selection of LSC can be more efficient. The author found that penetration theories for other types shaped charges were insufficient for the LSC, possibly because of the relatively slow projectile created by …

Determining And Mitigating The Effects Of Firing A Linear Shaped Charge Under Water, Brian Burch

Masters Theses

"When fired under water, a Linear Shaped Charge (LSC) does not penetrate a steel target as well as in air. This lack of performance has been a problem for shaped charge manufacturers and their clients. It was obvious that this degradation of performance is due to water having a higher density than air and water being incompressible compared to air. This study aimed to better determine how the water was affecting the LSC and to provide a method of mitigation.

LSCs of different sizes were submerged under water and fired through the water with and without a target. It was …

New Regulations For Explosives, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE Explosives Regulations, 1963, are now in operation and the new rules will affect purchase and keeping of explosives by small users.

Blasting. Part 1. Explosives And The Farmer, G A. Greaves

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

ABOUT 3,000 tons of commercial blasting explosives of various types are used every year in Western Australia of which approximately two thirds is utilised by mining industries and the remainder goes mainly to quarrying and public works.

The farmer and orchardist actually use only very small amounts but nevertheless explosives are a very useful working tool for the primary producer.

Blasting. Part 2. Explosives On The Farm, G A. Greaves

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

EXPLOSIVES will function with maximum reliability and efficiency only when they are carefully stored under cool, dry conditions so as to avoid deterioration.

When preparing charges the user should follow a correct procedure and use the proper tools. Always treat explosives with respect and remember they are made to explode. When they hit they hit hard.