Numerical calculations of ellipsoidal blast waves.

Abstract

This thesis investigates the progression of a blast wave created by the volumetric explosion of a pressurized ellipsoidal region. The use of numerical methods on a digital processing machine is made. Eight cases of four different ellipticities and two different overpressures were examined to determine the influence of the shape of the blast sources. It is shown that, for an ellipsoidal cold region generated from a volumetric explosion, the peak pressure through the intermediate fields would be up to three times greater than the peak pressure for an equivalent spherical region and occurs along the initially minor axis of the blast source. The static impulse and the dynamic impulse were also up to two to three times greater than those for an equivalent spherical region, through most of the intermediate and near far fields. A corresponding decrease in the values of these parameters was noted along the major axis.