Computational Method for Calculation of Blast Pressure outside Vented Suppressive Shield Containers

Abstract

Vented suppressive shield (VSS) containers have traditionally been used to store hazardous materials, especially explosives, and to attenuate the blast pressure and impulse outside the shield. VSS containers also eliminate the primary fragment hazard associated with accidental explosions. Most VSS containers are designed from experience and observations of container test programs. This design process, however, limits the designer's ability to economize on materials or use suppressive shield configurations other than those used in the test programs. The aim of this study is to investigate the interaction between the blast waves and the structural steel elements used in VSSs. This paper investigates the effect of different VSS sections (configurations) in the attenuation of blast pressure outside the container and develops semiempirical equations that can be used to predict blast pressure and impulse outside VSS containers. AUTODYN, a commercial software package, was used to model the explosive detonation process and the evolution of the blast wave and its interaction with the VSS. Different VSS configurations, which ranged in complexity and included single- and multilayer shields, were studied. The single- and multilayer VSSs were compared and used to develop semiempirical equations to predict the pressure and impulse outside the VSS container. The proposed equations were compared with the results obtained from a previous experimental test program and showed a very good correlation.