skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: AFWL (Air Force Weapons Laboratory) HULL (Hydrodynamics Unlimited) calculations of air blast over a dam slope. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6284347

This laboratory performed Hydrodynamics Unlimited (HULL) calculations of the air blast over a dam for two yields and two pressure regions. A 5th calculation included a rigid blockhouse at the foot of the dam. Although the shielding effect of the dam reduced the incident blast wave overpressure, reflection of the shock from the valley floor raised the peak overpressure up to at least 40% of the free air value. In almost every case, the overpressure impulses near the foot of the dam were greater than or equal to free air values. The rigid blockhouse experienced the most severe overpressure environments. The assumption of a 50-psi hard blockhouse is reasonable. During collapse of the blockhouse, it appears to be rigid to the air flow, since it responds slowly to the rapid air blast. Although there may be other reasons to detonate the weapon on the surface of the reservoir, the best way to destroy the blockhouse and any related structures with air blast, probably would be to detonate the device downstream of the blockhouse.

Research Organization:
Air Force Weapons Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM (USA)
OSTI ID:
6284347
Report Number(s):
AD-B-016229/7/XAB; AFWL-TR-76-154
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Distribution limitation now removed
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English