1
On the Role of Modeling Dust Production by Fragmenting Warheads in Storage
Facilities
Dr. Joseph D. Baum; Applied Simulations, Inc.; 1210 Pine Hill Road;
McLean, VA 22101, USA.
Dr. Orlando Soto; Applied Simulations, Inc.; 1210 Pine Hill Road
McLean, VA 22101, USA.
Dr. Fumiya Togashi; Applied Simulations, Inc.; 1210 Pine Hill Road,
McLean, VA 22101, USA.
Prof. Rainald Löhner; George Mason University; Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
Mr. Robert A. Frank; Applied Research Associates Inc.; 8537 Six Forks Rd, Suite 600,
Raleigh, NC 27615, USA.
Dr. Ali Amini; Defence Threat Reduction Agency; 8725 John J. Kingman Rd,
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA.
KEYWORDS
CFD, CSD, airblast, breach, blast propagation, dust, cased munitions.
ABSTRACT
The paper presents the results of a coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)/Coupled Structural Dynamics
(CSD) simulations of cased charges internal detonation within reinforced concrete chambers; a part of a test and
modeling effort studying air blast propagation through breached walls.
Initial simulations calibrated the CFD/CSD model and determined the physical mechanisms controlling internal
blast environments, wall breach, and blast propagation through the breach. In the test, the detonation room
(composed of two test walls and two culverts) incurred significant damage due to the fragments and blast loads.
Both culverts failed. Initial coupled CFD/CSD simulations modeled the culverts as non-responding surfaces.
These simulations reproduced the damage to the test walls, but the pressure histories matched the experimental
data only out to ~10 ms. Subsequent airblast reflections were significantly reduced. Post-test damage analysis
showed significant fragment damage to the culverts, with the concrete stripped to the first layer of rebars. Repeat
simulations, where the culvert response, dust production and dust absorption of kinetic and thermal energy were
modeled, matched the experimental data.
Additional simulations provided a synthetic database for fast running model development (FRM). These includes
modeling of breaching (size and timing), secondary debris, and blast propagation through the breach opening.
INTRODUCTION
The simulations presented here are part of a test, analysis, and modeling effort investigating airblast propagation
through breached walls. The coupled CFD/CSD simulations are providing additional insight and details not
measured in the tests, as well as developing a synthetic database to supplement the test matrix.
