Calibration of Chemical Kinetic Models Using Simulations of Small-Scale Cookoff Experiments

Abstract

Establishing safe handling limits for explosives in elevated temperature environments is a difficult problem that often requires extensive simulation. The largest influence on predicting thermal cookoff safety lies in the chemical kinetic model used in these simulations, and these kinetic model reaction sequences often contain multiple steps. Several small-scale cookoff experiments, notably Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), One-Dimensional Time-to-Explosion (ODTX), and the Scaled Thermal Explosion (STEX) have been performed on various explosives to aid in cookoff behavior determination. Past work has used a single test from this group to create a cookoff model, which does not guarantee agreement with the other experiments. In this study, we update the kinetic parameters of an existing model for the common explosive 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) using DSC and ODTX experimental data at the same time by minimizing a global Figure of Merit based on hydrodynamic simulated data. We then show that the new kinetic model maintains STEX agreement, reduces DSC agreement, and improves ODTX and TGA agreement when compared to the original model. In addition, we describe a means to use implicit hydrodynamic simulations of DSC experiments to develop a reaction model for TNT melting.