Confined explosions of high explosives

In the present paper, effects of turbulent combustion of the detonation products of high explosives in confined explosions are studied. Explosions of TNT, TNT/RDX and the mixtures of these explosives with Al are investigated in a steel chamber of 150-liter volume. The chamber is filled with nitrogen or air under normal conditions. Overpressure histories are recorded at the chamber wall. The dependence of the mean overpressure on the loading density of TNT is determined. This dependence is used to determine the TNT equivalent of explosives tested for confined explosions. On the basis of the measured overpressure histories and the results of thermochemical calculations, the rate of energy release and final heat effects of combustion of the detonation products in air are also estimated. Finally, the degree of after-burning of the detonation products is calculated for explosive mixtures tested.