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Large-scale spray detonation and related particle jetting instability phenomenon

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Abstract

The detonation performance of a more than 70,000 m\(^3\) fuel spray-air cloud is experimentally investigated using dispersal of a 5,090 kg gasoline payload by a central explosive in a cylindrically stratified configuration. The large-scale explosive dispersal data are further analyzed, together with a revisit of the data from previously conducted small-scale experiments and numerical simulations, to study particle jetting instabilities. The experiments depict a dual hierarchical jet structure consisting of primary particle jets overlapped by fine particle jets on the primary surfaces. Both jet systems form within the expansion of 1.5–2 times the initial charge diameter. The fine droplet jets are numerous initially as a result of surface instabilities or fragmentation of the charge casing, while the primary jets have a limited number emerging out of the surface of fine jet structures later in time. The number of primary jets is consistent with the number of incipient radial fractures observed at the payload surface. From this fact, an instability mechanism is suggested that the formation of primary particle jets may originate in the perturbations that develop near the interior interface between explosive and payload, through non-uniform density effects or casing fragmentation, driven by the explosive detonation and subsequent expansion of the high-pressure detonation products. Numerical modeling using liquid payload fragmenting into droplet particles has been applied to investigate the proposed mechanism. The numerical results show that the high-pressure jets of detonation products, created from the interior casing fragmentation, radially fracture the payload. The resulting compressed radial filaments, developed within the payload, lead to the primary jets emerging between the radial fracture points at the payload surface. The number of interior payload filaments before payload surface bursting, and hence the number of primary jets, is controlled by the number of inner casing fragments at the explosive-payload interface. Furthermore, the number of primary jets is also influenced by the mass ratio of payload to explosive and inner casing fragment pattern, whereas the perturbations induced by minor fragments will dissipate through the large payload and not result in final filaments.

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Acknowledgments

The significant effort and support of Brian Eichelbaum, Kiril Mudri, Robin Laing, Darrell Boechler, Karl Baker, the technical staff from the Suffield Field Operations Section and Richard Guilbeault from Canadian Explosive Research Laboratory in conducting the experiments, and Chris Cloney and Scott McClennan for the numerical model development are gratefully acknowledged. The research reported herein was supported by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)—Advanced Energetic Program (Dr. William H. Wilson).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Defence R&D Canada—Suffield, P.O. Box 4000, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 8K6, Canada

    F. Zhang, A. Yoshinaka, C. R. Findlay & J. Anderson

  2. Martec Limited, 1888 Brunswick St., Suite 400, Halifax, NS, B3B 3J8, Canada

    R. C. Ripley

  3. Canadian Explosives Research Laboratory, 1 Haanel Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 1M1, Canada

    B. von Rosen

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  1. F. Zhang
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  2. R. C. Ripley
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  3. A. Yoshinaka
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  4. C. R. Findlay
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  5. J. Anderson
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  6. B. von Rosen
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Correspondence to F. Zhang.

Additional information

Communicated by G. Ciccarelli.

This paper is based on work that was presented at the 24th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, Taipei, Taiwan, July 28 - August 2, 2013.

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Zhang, F., Ripley, R.C., Yoshinaka, A. et al. Large-scale spray detonation and related particle jetting instability phenomenon. Shock Waves 25, 239–254 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-014-0525-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-014-0525-4

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