Center-Ignited Spherical-Mass Explosion (CISME); FY 2018 Report
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
It is not known whether pristine (i.e. mechanically and thermally undamaged) PBX 9501 can transition from a deflagration to a detonation in realistic scenarios, with relevant charge masses and inertial and mechanical confinement. In order to place bounds on the behavior, a series of experiments was conducted in which a spherical PBX 9501 charge is center-ignited using a fiber-delivered infrared laser pulse. Charge diameter was varied from 1.5 in ch to 10 inch. Experiments were conducted in a “bare” (unconfined) configuration, and a confined configuration with 4 mm-thick stainless-steel hemispherical shells bolted together. In all eight experiments, the reaction exhibited a relatively benign pressure burst; no transition to detonation (DDT) was observed. Most of the explosive was unconsumed and recovered post-test. Confined tests demonstrated slightly greater violence than unconfined tests, as anticipated.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1477621
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-18-29651
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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