Blast Mitigation Using Water Mist: Test Series II

The effects water mist has on the overpressures produced by the detonation of 50 lb equivalent of high explosives (HE) TNT, Destex, and PBXN-109 in a chamber is reported. The overpressures for each charge density were measured with and without mist preemptively sprayed into the space. The impulse, initial blast wave, and quasi-static overpressure measured in the blast mitigation experiments were reduced by as much as (40%, 36%, and 35%) for 50 lbs TNT, (43%, 25%, and 33%) for 50 lbs TNT equivalent Destex, and (49%, 39%, and 41%) for 50 lbs TNT equivalent PBXN-109 when water mist was sprayed 60 seconds prior to detonation at a concentration of 70 g/m sup3 and droplet Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) of 54 micrometer. These results suggest that current water mist technology is a potentially promising concept for the mitigation of overpressure effects produced from the detonation of high explosives.
The original document contains color images. Prepared in cooperation with Hughes Associates, Inc., Baltimore, MD, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, MD and Marioff, Inc., Linthicum, MD.