Prediction of blast wave effects on a developed site

Adel M. Benselama , Mame J.-P. William-Louis , François Monnoyer de Galland

The guidelines for protecting against and mitigating explosion hazards require knowledge and either the experimental or theoretical evaluation of blast wave parameters. To this end, this article proposes a numerical method for simulating blast wave propagation in complex geometries. This method permits an on-the-ground TNT-like explosion and the subsequent blast wave to be simulated, with the possibility of modifying the ground topology by adding a number of obstacles. The numerical model is explored from both a qualitative and quantitative point of view by comparing it to experimental data, with a correct determination of the wave amplitude and phase signature at different key-positions. The pressure and Mach number distributions deduced from simulations in complex congested areas highlight various fluidsolid interactions, such as regular reflections and diffractions. The iso-damage diagrams of different obstacle layouts are also presented and discussed.

Mots clés: 47.40.Rs; 47.11.-j; 62.20.DNomenclature; Blast loading; Semi-confined environment; Iso-damage diagram; Finite volume method; Cartesian mesh

Adel M. Benselama, Mame J.-P. William-Louis, François Monnoyer de Galland. Prediction of blast wave effects on a developed site. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 2010, 37 (4), pp.385. ⟨10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2009.08.003⟩. ⟨hal-00657573⟩