Application of Lee–Tarver Model for Energetic Materials Safety Assessment Utilized in Aerospace Applications

Abstract

Energetic materials, essential for rocket propulsion, play a crucial role in aerospace systems. These materials lack sufficient safety assessments and pose significant risks to life and infrastructure. The slow progress in this field is hindered by prohibitively high experimental costs and the inherently destructive nature of these experiments. This study aimed to evaluate modeling-based safety assessments, primarily utilizing the Lee–Tarver model. It specifically addressed the threat posed by shaped charges during transportation. Experimental analyses employed 50 mm JH-2 shaped charges, targeting RDX-based JH-2 formulation, since RDX is widely used in various rocket motor propellant formulations. TNT was also used to enhance the validation of the Lee–Tarver model findings. Various logistical configurations were explored, testing steel container walls ranging from 10 mm thickness to reinforced walls of 50 mm, 60 mm, and 65 mm steel. Comparative analysis with experiments reinforced the accuracy of the Lee–Tarver model’s numerical predictions. Both simulations and experiments affirmed that a 65 mm steel protection suffices for the safe transportation of RDX-based JH-2 formulations and TNT within a 10 mm storage box in logistical setups. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the Lee–Tarver model’s reliability for most energetic materials safety assessments, while acknowledging certain limitations.