Experimental and numerical investigations of shock-wave attenuation by geometrical means: A single barrier configuration

Explosions near tunnels leading to underground bunkers and inside airplanes or buses are examples of scenarios in which the generated blast waves propagate in corridor-like structures. Therefore, the need to attenuate the blast wave or reduce the blast induced loads inside the structure is essential. The interaction of a shock/blast wave with barriers of different sizes and shapes inside a corridor can attenuate dramatically the load induced by the wave. In the present ongoing research, the focus on the dependence of the shock wave attenuation on a wide span of barrier geometries was emphasized. The research methodology is a numerical one that has been validated by experimental results. The experiments were conducted in a shock tube equipped with a high-speed camera. The numerical simulations were carried out using a commercial code, based on an MSC.Dytran solver under initial conditions similar to those measured in the experiments. In the present comprehensive study, a few thousands of calculations of different barrier geometries have been carried out in order to map the effect of the barrier geometric parameters on the shock wave attenuation in a continues manner. By analyzing the flow features resulting from the interaction of a shock wave and a wide span of the geometric parameters characterizing the barrier, better understanding of the attenuation mechanisms was gained. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.