Blast wave characteristics of multi-layer composite charge: Theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental validation

Abstract

This article investigates the characteristics of shock wave overpressure generated by multi-layer composite charge under different detonation modes. Combining dimensional analysis and the explosion mechanism of the charge, a peak overpressure prediction model for the composite charge under single-point detonation and simultaneous detonation was established. The effects of the charge structure and initiation method on the overpressure field characteristics were investigated in AUTODYN simulation. The accuracy of the prediction model and the reliability of the numerical simulation method were subsequently verified in a series of static explosion experiments. The results reveal that the mass of the inner charge was the key factor determining the peak overpressure of the composite charge under single-point detonation. The peak overpressure in the radial direction improved apparently with an increase in the aspect ratio of the charge. The overpressure curves in the axial direction exhibited a multi-peak phenomenon, and the secondary peak overpressure even exceeded the primary peak at distances of 30D and 40D (where D is the charge diameter). The difference in peak overpressure among azimuth angles of 0–90° gradually decreased with an increase in the propagation distance of the shock wave. The coupled effect of the detonation energy of the inner and outer charge under simultaneous detonation improved the overpressure in both radial and axial directions. The difference in peak overpressure obtained from model prediction and experimental measurements was less than 16.4%.

Keywords

• Blast wave characteristics
• Multi-layer composite charge
• Dimensional analysis
• AUTODYN mapping Model
• Explosion experiment