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Title: A New Understanding of Chemical Agent Release

Abstract

The evolution of thickened chemical agent released at supersonic velocities, due to a missile defense intercept or a properly functioning warhead, has been misunderstood. Current and historical experimental and modeling efforts have attributed agent breakup to a variety of droplet breakup mechanisms. According to this model, drops of agent fragment into subsequent generations of smaller drops until a stable drop size is reached. Recent experimental data conducted in a supersonic wind tunnel show that agent breakup is not driven by any droplet breakup mechanism. The breakup of agent is instead governed by viscoelastic behavior and aerodynamic history effects. This viscoelastic breakup mechanism results in the formation of threads and sheets of liquid, instead of drops. The evolution and final state of agent released has broad implications not only for aerobreakup models, but also for all atmospheric dispersion models.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
15002359
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-149430
TRN: US200410%%95
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics/Missile Defense Agency Conference, Monterey, CA (US), 07/29/2002--08/02/2002; Other Information: PBD: 24 Jul 2002
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; AERODYNAMICS; MISSILES; SIMULATION; WIND TUNNELS

Citation Formats

Nakafuji, G, Greenman, R, and Theofanous, T. A New Understanding of Chemical Agent Release. United States: N. p., 2002. Web.
Nakafuji, G, Greenman, R, & Theofanous, T. A New Understanding of Chemical Agent Release. United States.
Nakafuji, G, Greenman, R, and Theofanous, T. 2002. "A New Understanding of Chemical Agent Release". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15002359.
@article{osti_15002359,
title = {A New Understanding of Chemical Agent Release},
author = {Nakafuji, G and Greenman, R and Theofanous, T},
abstractNote = {The evolution of thickened chemical agent released at supersonic velocities, due to a missile defense intercept or a properly functioning warhead, has been misunderstood. Current and historical experimental and modeling efforts have attributed agent breakup to a variety of droplet breakup mechanisms. According to this model, drops of agent fragment into subsequent generations of smaller drops until a stable drop size is reached. Recent experimental data conducted in a supersonic wind tunnel show that agent breakup is not driven by any droplet breakup mechanism. The breakup of agent is instead governed by viscoelastic behavior and aerodynamic history effects. This viscoelastic breakup mechanism results in the formation of threads and sheets of liquid, instead of drops. The evolution and final state of agent released has broad implications not only for aerobreakup models, but also for all atmospheric dispersion models.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15002359}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2002},
month = {Wed Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2002}
}

Conference:
Other availability
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