Scope of Chemical Explosive Cratering Experiment (open access)

Scope of Chemical Explosive Cratering Experiment

A general description is given of the Pre-Buggy chemical explosive experiments. These experiments consisted of a series of single- and multiple- charge detonations designed to refine our knowledge of channel size as a function of charge spacing, and to obtain data on venting of explosion products from a row of spherical charges detonated in alluvium. A basic series of six single-charge detonations and four multiple-charge detonations of five charges in a row was executed in Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site from November 1982 through February 1983. Each charge contained 1,000 pounds of nitromethane with a La/sup 140/ tracer. Preliminary examination of the results indicates that: (1) When charges were spaced at 1.0 single-charge crater radius, the channel depth and width were larger than the diameter and depth of a single-charge crater. (2) Small increases in spacing resulted in considerable reduction of channel depth and a smaller reduction in width. (3) The channel shape at spacings of 1.5 single- charge crater radii was very uneven. (4) When the ratio of the depth-of-burst to depth-of-crater was about two, the venting of explosion products from a row- charge detonation was less than from single-charge detonations. (auth)
Date: May 15, 1963
Creator: Graves, E.; Wray, W. R. & Pierce, R. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library