ALE3D Model Predictions and Materials Characterization for the Cookoff Response of PBXN-109

Conference · Tue Mar 19 04:00:00 EST 2002

OSTI ID:15005681

McClelland, M A; Maienschein, J L; Nichols, A L; Wardell, J F; Atwood, A I; Curran, P O

ALE3D simulations are presented for the thermal explosion of PBXN-109 (RDX, AI, HTPB, DOA) in support of an effort by the U. S. Navy and Department of Energy (DOE) to validate computational models. The U.S. Navy is performing benchmark tests for the slow cookoff of PBXN-109 in a sealed tube. Candidate models are being tested using the ALE3D code, which can simulate the coupled thermal, mechanical, and chemical behavior during heating, ignition, and explosion. The strength behavior of the solid constituents is represented by a Steinberg-Guinan model while polynomial and gamma-law expressions are used for the Equation Of State (EOS) for the solid and gas species, respectively. A void model is employed to represent the air in gaps. ALE3D model 'parameters are specified using measurements of thermal and mechanical properties including thermal expansion, heat capacity, shear modulus, and bulk modulus. A standard three-step chemical kinetics model is used during the thermal ramp, and a pressure-dependent burn front model is employed during the rapid expansion. Parameters for the three-step kinetics model are specified using measurements of the One-Dimensional-Time-to-Explosion (ODTX), while measurements for burn rate of pristine and thermally damaged material are employed to determine parameters in the burn front model. Results are given for calculations in which heating, ignition, and explosion are modeled in a single simulation. We compare model results to measurements for the cookoff temperature and tube wall strain.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 15005681
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-145756
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
EXPLOSIONS
HEATING
IGNITION
KINETICS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NASA
POLYNOMIALS
PROPULSION
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
SHEAR
SIMULATION
SPECIFIC HEAT
THERMAL EXPANSION