Sympathetic Detonation Predictive Methods

Abstract : For the past decade the U.S. Air Force has been engaged in a research program to develop an insensitive high explosive (IHE) fill for the MK-82 general purpose bomb. The reasons for this endeavor are improved safety during handling storage, and increased sortie generation due to improved storage density and proximity to the delivery vehicles. This paper details the work that has been accomplished so far in the area of sympathetic detonation and what the main stimulus for MK-82 bombs are in a storage configuration. The MK-82 bomb is stored in a six bomb pallet. It was discovered, through experimentation and hydrocode analysis, that the pallet configuration when combined with an IHE could result in a solution for the safe storage of this bomb. In support of this program a multi-channel shock wave time of arrival recorder (MSTAR) was developed. This piece of equipment proved to be invaluable during the testing phase. Sympathetic Detonation, Insensitive high explosive, Shock to detonation, MSTAR, Hydrocode, Hull, MK-82, AFX-1100, TNTO, AFX-644, Three dimensional.