Abstract
Background
In spite of the worldwide recognition of the importance of testing blast effects on dummy humans, there is a lack of blast simulators that are capable of generating realistic blast conditions in the laboratory.
Objective
The objective of the present study was to design, construct and test a blast tube that is able to accurately reproduce loading histories of actual explosions in the laboratory.
Methods
The design combines some advantages of existing blast-wave generating facilities. Using numerical simulations, a 5-m long blast tube was designed. The blast tube is large enough to enclose dummies including torso and head, wearing vests and/or helmets.
Results
The system generated blast waves equivalent to those of a spherical explosion of about 3.5 kg TNT with an over pressure of 0.64 bar and a positive phase of 4 ms. The repeatability of the experiments was very good. The blast tube’s open end is square of 1.57 m × 1.57 m and although designed for experiments on human dummies, it could be used for testing even full-scale structural components. High quality high-speed photography was demonstrated through the designed windows. Our preliminary study on the effect of a helmet on a dummy’s head revealed that the tested helmet amplified by a factor of 2 and more the peak pressure in the back side of the head.
Conclusions
The newly designed blast tube is capable of simulating close range blast waves, manifested with short positive durations. Experiments with and without helmets revealed the importance of blast testing for improving helmet design.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bhattacharjee Y (2008) Shell shock revisited: Solving the puzzle of blast trauma. Science 319:406–408
Warden D (2006) Military TBI during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. J Head Trauma Rehabil 21;5:398–402
Hoge CW et al (2008) Mild traumatic brain injury in U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq. N Engl J Med 358(5):453–463
Needham CE et al (2015) Blast testing issues and TBI: Experimental models that lead to wrong conclusions. Front Neurol 6;72:1–10
Roberts JC et al (2012) Human head-neck computational model for assessing blast injury. J Biomechanics 45:2899–2906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2012.07.027
Chandra N, Sundaramurthy A, Gupta RK (2017) Validation of laboratory animal and surrogate human models in primary blast injury studies. Mil Med 182(3/4):105–113
Chandra N et al (2012) Evolution of blast wave profiles in simulated air blasts: experiment and computational modelling. Shock Waves 22;5:403–415
Kleinschmit NN (2011) A shock tube technique for blast wave simulation and studies of flow structure interaction in shock tube blast experiments. M.Sc. Thesis, Univ. Nebraska-Lincoln
Sundaramurthy A, Chandra N (2014) A parametric approach to shape field-relevant blast wave profiles in compressed-gas-driven shock tube. Front Neurol 5:1–10
Alay E, Skotak M, Misistia A, Chandra N (2018) Dynamic load on human and animal surrogates at different test locations in compressed-gas-driven shock tubes. Shock Waves 28:51–62
Bessette GC et al (2016) Modeling the blast load simulator airblast environment using first principles codes. Re. 1 - Blast load simulator environment, US Army Corps of Engineers, ERDC, ERDC/GSL TR-16-31
Ganel R, Kochavi E, Ben-Dor G (2016) Numerical computation of reinforced concrete slabs subjected to blast loading. In: Thiagarajan G, Williamson E (eds) Analytiacl and Finite Element Concrete Material Models – Comparison of Blast Response Analysis of One Way Slabs with Experimental Data, SP-306-2, ISBN-13: 978-1-942727-77-4$4 ACI, USA
Li Y, Algassem O, Aoude H (2018) Response of high-strength reinforced concrete beams under shock-tube induced blast loading. Constr Build Mater 189:420–437
Filler WS (1960) Design characteristic of a conical shock tube for the simulation of very large charge blasts. Explosions Res. Dept. NAVORD Re. 6844, AD243068, U.S. Naval Ordnance Lab. White Oak, Silver Springs
Filler WS (1960) Measurements on the blast wave in a conical tube. Phys Fluids 3:444–448
Stewart JB, Pecora C (2015) Explosively driven air blast in a conical shock tube. Rev Sci Instrum 86(035108)1–9
Stewart JB (2017) Considerations for explosively driven conical shock tube design: computations and experiments. U.S. Army Res. Lab., ARL-TR-7953
Ismail A, Ezzeldin M, El-Dakhakhni W, Tait M (2019) Blast load simulation using conical shock tube systems. Int J Protective Struct 1–24:2–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041419619858098
Ismail A (2017) Blast load simulation using shock tube systems. M.A.Sc. Thesis, McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON, Canada
Jacques E, Lloyd A, Saatcioglu M (2013) Predicting reinforced concrete response to blast loads. Can J Civ Eng 40:427–444
Hyde DW (1988) CONWEP and FUNPRO: User’s guide for Microcomputer programs CONWEP and FUNPRO, Applications of TM5-855-1, Fundamentals of Protective Design for Conventional Weapons. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, AD-A195865, Department of the Army, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Funding
This study was partly funded by the Israeli Ministry of Defense under Grant No. 511-4440910173.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that there is no potential conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
E. Kochavi is on Sabbatical Leave from NRCN, Beer Sheva, Israel
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kochavi, E., Gruntman, S., Ben-Dor, G. et al. Design and Construction of an In-Laboratory Novel Blast Wave Simulator. Exp Mech 60, 1149–1159 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-020-00650-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-020-00650-0