Experimental simulation of blast loading on structural elements using rarefaction waves - theoretical analysis

The effect of the filling gas properties on the resulting blast pressures acting on the target was investigated including a diatomic (air) and monatomic (helium) gases. The analytical results are compared with computational results obtained from simulations using the AUTODYN software. Comparisons are also made with experimental data. Excellent agreement is obtained between the calculated pressure time histories predicted by the proposed model and the computational and measured experimental pressure signals. The new presented model with lumped parameters allows an effective analysis of any experiment using that experimental system and definitely will help in planning experiments with specific blast characteristics through proper selection of the suitable parameters to achieve the planned experiment goal.