Pre-shot predictions and instrumentation of the KUCHEN experiment
We calculated the peak particle velocity and peak acceleration at gage locations for the three explosions of the KUCHEN experiment. Our predictions of the peak particle velocities and accelerations are consistent with a variety of other estimates which include surface motion obtained from underground nuclear explosions in alluvium, a tamped HE explosion at the Nevada Test Site, and the ConWep estimates which are used for conventional weapons effects calculations. We also predict the air blast over-pressure and the temperature rise in the air inside the cavity of the decoupled explosion and find that the peak pressure at the top of the cylindrical cavity is about 50 bars and that the shock-wave reverberations inside the cavity have a period of about 100 ms. After 500 ms, the shock wave reverberations inside the cavity of the decoupled explosion are considerably attenuated and the equilibrium state before any significant diffusion or thermal conduction occurs is a pressure of 5 bars and a temperature of 1100{degrees}C. The instrumentation of the experiment is designed for containment diagnostics, near-field in-situ motion, and ground motion monitoring. The containment diagnostics include an air-blast overpressure gage, an RF Interferometer, a strain gage, two thermocouples and two cavity pressure gages. Additional gages detect the presence of hazardous detonation products. Near field motion diagnostics include four three-axis accelerometers at various depths and a single three-axis velocity gage. The seismic ground motion sensors are located in 24 distinct locations and distributed in a modified symmetrical pattern around the borehole. Using a simple constitutive model which correctly predicts peak particle velocity data in porous alluvium, we calculated a decoupling factor that varies from 4 to 11 in the frequency range between 1 and 30 hertz. Using that same model, we calculated a decoupling factor of 15 in a spherical cavity with equivalent volume.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 83118
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-121036; ON: DE95014514
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: May 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
35 ARMS CONTROL
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
SIMULATION
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
DETECTION
ARMS CONTROL
VERIFICATION
NUCLEAR EXPLOSION DETECTION
SEISMIC DETECTION
DECOUPLING
NEVADA TEST SITE
EXPERIMENT PLANNING
PRESSURE GAGES
STRAIN GAGES
INTERFEROMETERS
GROUND MOTION
SEISMIC DETECTORS
THERMOCOUPLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS