AIR BLAST MEASUREMENTS AROUND WATER-FILLED SIMULATED NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE VESSELS
Measurements are presented of the air blast caused by bursting water- filled simulated nuclear reactor core vessels with internal explosive changes. The data were obtained by detonating one-pound spherical Pentolite explosive charges within the simulated cores and recording peak overpressures and positive impulses at each of several distances from 3 to 10 feet from the vessel center. The test results show that shock waves were formed in air close to the bursting vessels. However, the observation that pressure-time histories differ considerably from the "classical'' free air blast waves from bare charges precludes the use of an equivalent weight of bare explosive-charge to simulate the effect of bursting a reactor core. Even though the pressure-time histories for the water-filled core vessels do vary from those of bare explosives, the pressures and impulses measured were never larger than those of the air-filled vessels. Therefore, it may be concluded that the data for air-filled core vessels, which are applicable to an equivalent weight concept, yield an upper bound of air blast measurements for its water-filled counterpart. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Ballistic Research Labs., Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-021713
- OSTI ID:
- 4844065
- Report Number(s):
- BRLM-1219
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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