Evaluation of safety distances for storage of explosive materials using a combination of thermochemical computations and CFD

Abstract

A novel approach to calculating TNT equivalencies and safety distances for explosives, using a combination of thermochemical computations and computational fluid dynamics, is presented. This enables the estimation of safety distances for specific explosives and charge geometries based on physical principles rather than empirical parametrizations. The methodology inherently allows for the simulation of subsequent shock propagation and interaction with surrounding structures, following the detonation of an explosive. Presented results include examples of computed TNT equivalencies for selected commercial explosives, as well as simulated pressure distributions around a detonating stack of dynamite.