Prediction Method of Blast Wave Impact on Crew Module for Liquid Rocket Explosion on Launch Pad

Abstract

The role of manned space flight in the field of space exploration and utilization is growing. However, the security system of the manned spaceflight is still imperfect. In the case that the rocket explodes, crew modules maybe damaged by the blast wave, which will threaten the safety of the crews. This research aims to obtain the necessary data and information to enable the designers of the launch vehicles and crew modules to develop safer launch systems. To this end, this paper proposes a numerical method using LS-DYNA to study the propagation law of blast waves caused by rocket explosion on the launch pad and to quantify the impact of the blast wave on crew module. The numerical results indicate that the final blast waveform of the model with rocket is conical in the upper and lower parts, and spherical in the middle. At the same time, the third-stage explosion is the most harmful to the crew module, while the first-stage explosion is the least. Furthermore, the model with rocket has a marked effect on explosion strength: the pressure enhancement factor is about 4−17 times. Most importantly, overpressure prediction formula acting on the crew modulesof explosion on the launch pad is established for quick peak overpressure predicting and damage evaluating.

Keywords

• manned spaceflight
• crew module
• blast wave
• peak overpressure
• launch pad
• LS-DYNA
• liquid propellant
• pressure enhancement factor