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U.S. Department of Energy
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Gas sampling and analysis results for demilitarization of M107, 155mm artillery shells by open detonation

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:16534
This report presents and evaluates the gas sampling and analysis data obtained by LLNL for the fourdemilitarization experiments executed in the contained underground facility at X tunnel of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) from December 1996 through March 1997. Each of the four experiments detonated M107, 155mm artillery shells, 6, 24, 24 and 60 respectively, using C4 donor charges, and produced combustion product gases which mixed with the air and tracer gases in the chamber. Bechtel Nevada personnel performed the sampling configuration setup and operation of the field gas sampling and field analysis instrumentation. Continuous sampling and on-line analysis of gas from the chamber, as well as discrete sampling into 1 liter containers for post-shot analysis at LLNL, provided data to determine the gas compostion at detonation zero time. The carbon balance and emission factors of gaseous species produced by open detonation (OD) of M107 shells with C4 donor charges are presented and compared to OD of unconfined composition B explosive. The emission factors (EFs) for fixed gases from each test inthis series can be scaled as a function of net explosive weight (NEW) to estimate the amounts of gasesgenerated in 10,000 pound NEW demilitarization events. Changes in the trace gas concentrationsresulting from modification of the detonation setup can be used to monitor the extent of optimization.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
16534
Report Number(s):
UCRL-ID-129125; ON: DE98052218
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English